Molecular iodine catalyzed C3-quaternization via oxidative dearomatization of indoles: direct access to 3,3-di(indolyl)indolin-2-ones

Key Points

• To explore an environmentally friendly method for synthesizing 3,3-diindolyl-indoline-2-one using molecular iodine.
• Utilized molecular iodine as a catalyst
• Executed oxidative dearomatization of indoles
• Formed isatin in situ during the reaction
• Successfully synthesized 3,3-diindolyl-indoline-2-one from indoles
• Demonstrated a metal-free reaction pathway
• Achieved C3-quaternization effectively