Aminophthalimide as a Protected Nitrogen Source for N-Insertion to Indenones

Key Points

• The study investigates a new method for inserting nitrogen into indenones to produce isoquinolinones using a nitrene-based approach.
• Utilized N-aminophthalimide activated by PIDA in a one-pot reaction
• Conducted a two-step process including aziridination and acid-promoted rearrangement
• Tested the method on various substrates including electron-poor enones
• Successfully achieved N-H insertion into previously unreactive 2-alkyl and electron-poor indenones
• Isolated N-H isoquinolinones with ease after deprotection
• Demonstrated compatibility with a wide range of functional groups

Abstract