Rhodium catalyzed synthesis of isoindolinones via C–H activation of N-benzoylsulfonamides

An efficient approach to a wide range of isoindolinones, including 3-monosubstituted and 3,3-disubstituted isoindolinones, from the annulation of N-benzoylsulfonamides with olefins and diazoacetate has been developed. The transformation is broadly compatible with both terminal and internal olefins. Moreover, diazoacetate is for the first time incorporated into an amide-directed C–H functionalization reaction. Specifically, the rhodium complex [{RhCl2Cp*}2] enables the in situ dimerization of diazoacetate in addition to its role in catalyzing C–H functionalization/cross-coupling.