A facile synthesis of isoindoline and Δ1-pyrrolines from chalcone and glycine by a cascade of process involving addition, in situ decarboxylation, and cyclization

In this Letter, we report a rapid one-step entry into isoindoline and Δ1-pyrrolines from chalcone. The key step in the synthesis is the addition of glycine to chalcone. In acidic medium the reaction presumably goes through aza-Michael addition, whereas in basic medium the reaction proceeds through condensation followed by cyclization.