Iron‐Catalyzed C−C and C−N Bond‐Forming Tandem Amidation Offering Access to 3‐Amino‐3‐Aminomethyl‐2‐Oxindole Frameworks.

An iron‐catalyzed protocol for the synthesis of 3‐amino‐3‐aminomethyl‐2‐oxindole heterocyclic structures is disclosed employing isatins and non‐nucleophilic N‐methoxybenzamides. This reaction class is associated with broad scope and tolerates numerous functionalities, such as fluoro, chloro, bromo, iodo, trifluoromethyl, nitrile, ester, ether, and alkenyl, including heteroaryl – thiophene, benzothiophene, carbazolyl, indolyl, eugenol, and polycyclic cholesterol moieties. Detailed mechanistic investigations reveal that the reaction proceeds via iron‐catalyzed N−O bond cleavage in N‐methoxybenzamides, generating formaldehyde and benzamide, and through the intermediacy of isatin‐ketimines and N‐(hydroxymethyl)benzamides. Overall, this amidation reaction involves one C−C and two C−N bond‐forming tandem processes, providing a range of β‐amino‐aminomethyl‐oxindoles (45 examples) in up to 88% yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]