The first enantioselective cyanoamidation of olefins provides quick access to a variety of 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles. The combination of Pd(dba)2, an optically active phosphoramidite, and N, N-dimethylpropylene urea (DMPU) in decalin were found to be the best conditions.

a b s t r a c tThe cyanoamidation of olefins was achieved. When N-(2-vinylphenyl)cyanoformamides were treated with palladium catalyst, intramolecular cyanoamidation took place to give corresponding 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles. P(t-Bu) 3 showed a remarkable effect on this reaction. When it was used with Pd(dba) 2 , the reaction was completed in 15 min at 100 C for many substrates. Furthermore, the enantioselective cyanoamidation was accomplished with Pd(dba) 2 and an optically active phosphoramidite to provide optically active 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles. Manipulation of the resulting oxindoles has been studied.

[reaction: see text] The five- to seven-membered alpha-alkylidene lactams were prepared in 45-99% yield by the palladium-catalyzed cyanoamidation of alkynyl cyanoformamides. The reaction proceeded exclusively in a 5-exo mode, giving the corresponding (Z)-alkenes as major products. The reaction was also applied to 1,1-disubstituted alkenes to afford oxindoles bearing a quaternary carbon center.

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The formal synthesis of hemiterpene spirooxindole alkaloids elacomine (1) and isoelacomine (2) is described. Heck reaction of protected iodoanilines with 5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2-one or six-membered unsaturated lactams was investigated. The coupling product was readily converted to a carbamoyl chloride with an incorporated diene unit. The spiro(pyrrolidine-3,3'-oxindole) skeleton, which corresponds to the carbon skeleton of 1 and 2, was efficiently constructed from this intermediate by using a domino palladium-catalyzed Heck reaction and bismuth-catalyzed hydroamination. An isolated byproduct of the reaction could also be converted to the spirooxindole skeleton.