Conspectus The oxindole scaffold is a privileged structural motif that is found in a variety of bioactive targets and natural products. Moreover, derivatives of the oxindole structure are widely present in a number of biologically relevant compounds and are key intermediates in the synthesis of diverse natural products and pharmaceuticals. Therefore, novel methods to obtain oxindoles remain of high priority in synthetic organic chemistry. Over the past several decades, novel transition-metal-catalyzed methodologies have been applied toward the synthesis of a variety of heterocycles. A detailed mechanistic understanding facilitates the disruption of traditional catalytic pathways to access useful synthetic intermediates. The strategies employed have generally revolved around the generation of high-energy organometallic intermediates, which undergo cyclization reactions through domino processes. Domino cyclization methodologies are therefore attractive, as they allow facile access to functionalized oxindoles containing all-carbon quaternary centers or tetrasubstituted olefins with high chemo- and stereoselectivities. Furthermore, these developed synthetic strategies can often be easily applied in the syntheses of other related scaffolds. In this Account, we discuss the three unique strategies that our group has leveraged for the synthesis of valuable oxindole scaffolds. The first section in this Account outlines the use of an initial oxidative addition to a C­(sp2)–X bond, followed by a migratory insertion, yielding a neopentyl species amenable to a variety of subsequent functionalizations. From this reactive neopentyl metal species, we have reported C–X reductive eliminations, anionic capture cascade reactions, and intramolecular C–H functionalization processes. The second section of this Account summarizes our group’s findings on 1,2-insertions of a metal–nucleophile species across an unsaturation, generating a reactive organometallic intermediate; subsequent reactions with tethered electrophiles form the desired heterocyclic core. We have explored a wide array of transition metal-catalyzed strategies using this approach, including rhodium-catalyzed conjugate additions, an asymmetric copper-catalyzed borylcupration, and a palladium­(II)-catalyzed chloropalladation protocol. The final section of this Account details the use of dual-metal catalysis to perform a cyclization through a C–H functionalization–allylation domino reaction. Throughout this Account, we provide details of mechanistic studies that better enabled our understanding of the domino processes. Overall, our group has developed methods exploiting the unique reactivity of palladium, nickel, copper, rhodium, and ruthenium catalysts to develop methods toward a wide array of oxindole scaffolds. On the basis of the utility, diversity, and applicability of the strategies developed, we believe that they will prove to be highly useful in the syntheses of other important targets and inspire further development and mechanistic understanding of various metal-c...

A novel nickel-catalyzed cycloisomerization reaction forming a new carbon-carbon bond while preserving the carbon-halogen bond has been developed. A cheap and readily available Ni-catalyst is employed to generate nitrogen containing heterocycles in good to excellent yields and the procedure is readily scalable. The more readily available aryl bromides were also cyclized with the addition of potassium iodide to generate the respective alkyl iodides. A rare dual ligand system employing a bisphosphine and bisphosphine monoxide was used to achieve enantioenriched products.

This work reports the enantioselective formal transfer of a carbamoyl iodide across a 1,1-disubstituted styrene using Ni-catalysis. Employing an air-stable Ni(II) precatalyst and a commercially available chiral ligand ((S)-tBuPHOX), enantioenriched 3,3-disubstituted iodooxindoles were obtained in up to 90% yield and up to 97:3 e.r. This methodology was applied to the total synthesis of (−)-esermethole and (−)-phenserine.

Ad iastereoselective dearomative carboiodination reaction is reported. We report an ovel metal-catalyzed approach to install reactive secondary benzylic iodides. Utilizing the unique reactivity of nickel, we have expanded the carboiodination reaction to non-activated aromatic double bonds forming ap reviously unattainable class of iodides.W e also report ab roadly applicable method to avoid the use of ametallic reducing agent by utilizing an alkylphosphite as the ligand. The reaction is thought to proceed through as yn intramolecular carbonickelation across a2 -substituted indole followed by ad iastereoretentive reductive elimination of the carbonÀiodine bond. The complex iodinated indolines generated in the reaction were obtained in moderate to good yields and good to excellent diastereoselectivity.T he products were easily functionalized by av ariety of synthetic methods.

A Pd(0)/blue light catalyzed carboiodination reaction is reported. A simple, air-stable catalytic system, utilizing [Pd(allyl)Cl] 2 and DPEPhos, generated a variety of iodinated hetero-and carbocycles including oxindoles, dihydrobenzofurans, indolines, a chromane, and a tetrahydronaphthalene. This protocol was tolerant of sensitive functional groups including free carboxylic acids, phenols, and anilines, as well as pyridines, while delivering products in up to 94% yield. Support for a reversible C−I bond formation via a single electron mechanism was obtained using a deuterium labeled substrate and a stoichiometric neopentylpalladium species.T ransition-metal catalyzed halogenation protocols have often hinged on gaining a deeper understanding of the reversibility of carbon−halogen bond forming events. One powerful synthetic strategy that implements reversible C−X bond formation is the palladium-catalyzed carboiodination reaction, wherein halogenated heterocycles can be built from the intramolecular transfer of a C(sp 2 )−X group across a tethered π-system. 1−4 Traditionally, palladium catalyzed carboiodination reactions involve a 2-electron mechanistic cycle and are initiated by a ground-state Pd(0) catalyst undergoing an oxidative addition with an aryl halide. 1,2,4 Recently, the use of blue light in conjunction with palladium catalysis has offered a convenient route to access excited-state palladium species. 5−10 Unlike their thermal counterparts, photochemical reactions involving excited-state Pd(0) are typically thought to involve tandem palladium/radical intermediates. These reactions can mimic the reactivity of ground state palladium species, via a single electron mechanism in domino reactions. 6,8,10−13 Though the presence of radical intermediates has been well established, 5,6,14 a mechanism involving both discrete Pd(II) intermediates and alkyl radical/Pd(I) species has not been broadly explored.Thermally initiated carboiodination reactions typically employ a palladium catalyst bearing bulky electron-rich phosphines, or a nickel catalyst and a PPh 3 , P(OR) 3 or an N,N-ligand. 1,15−20 These reaction mechanism initiate via an oxidative addition to the C−I bond, followed by a migratory insertion across the π-system, and terminate with a ligandmediated 3-center 2-electron, 18 or an H-bonding initiated S N 2type reductive elimination. 21 The most successful conditions for the palladium carboiodination reactions utilize high temperatures and QPhos or t-Bu 3 P, costly and air-sensitive bulky phosphines (Scheme 1a). Often times, bulky 3°-amine