Divergent and Selective Synthesis of 3-Alkylidene Oxindoles Using Pd-Catalyzed Multicomponent Reaction.

Herein, a divergent and selective synthesis of (E)-3-alkylidene oxindole, which is a highly valuable framework due to its presence in biologically important molecules, via palladium-catalyzed multicomponent reaction of 3-diazo oxindole, isocyanide, and aniline has been developed. Further, the feasibility of the reaction was demonstrated by employing differently substituted 3-diazo oxindoles, isocyanides, and anilines as starting material and obtaining the corresponding products in 31-83% isolated yields. Besides, a plausible mechanism has been presented and further investigated using DFT calculations which suggest the formation of the Pd-carbene complex and ketenimine intermediate as the key step during the catalytic cycle.

A Pd-catalyzed one-pot cascade consisting of C-C/C-O/N-N bond formation to access benzoxazine fused 1,2,3-triazoles.

A Pd-catalyzed one-pot cascade consisting of C-C/C-O/N-N bond formation to access clinically important fused 1,2,3-triazoles using N-aryl-α-(tosylhydrazone)acetamides with isocyanide has been developed. Besides, various substitutions on the N-aryl part of acetamides along with different isocyanides show good compatibility in this protocol. Next, two plausible mechanistic routes were proposed; however, one of the routes was more favourable which involved the formation of a benzoxazine ring first followed by the realization of a triazole ring. Additionally, the more favourable mechanistic route was investigated using DFT studies which suggests that the formations of a Pd(II)-isocyanide complex and α-diazoimino intermediates were key steps in the catalytic cycle.