Stereoselective synthesis of (E)-3-(methoxycarbonyl)methylene-1,3-dihydroindol-2-ones by palladium-catalyzed oxidative carbonylation of 2-ethynylanilines

A direct synthesis of (E)-3-(methoxycarbonyl)methylene-1,3-dihydroindol-2-ones 2 by palladium-catalyzed oxidative carbonylation of 2-ethynylanilines 1 is reported. Reactions were carried out in MeOH as the solvent at 50−70 °C in the presence of catalytic amounts of PdI2 in conjunction with KI under a 4:1 CO/air mixture (20 atm total pressure at 25 °C). When the reaction was applied to 2-alkynylanilines with internal triple bonds, the reaction course changed completely, with formation of carbamates 4.