Design, Synthesis, and Anti-Cancer Activity Evaluation of a 3-methyleneisoindolin- 1-One Library.

Background: Isoindolin-1-ones are medicinally privileged heterocyclic compounds. Due to the interesting biological activities exhibited by these compounds, several synthetic and medicinal research groups have developed numerous synthetic approaches for these compounds. We have also previously reported two efficient approaches for the synthesis of the isoindolin-1-ones through iodoaminocyclization of alkynyl amides using n-BuLi and phosphazene superbases.

Phosphazene Superbase-Mediated Regio- and Stereoselective Iodoaminocyclization of 2-(1-Alkynyl)benzamides for the Synthesis of Isoindolin-1-ones.

Phosphazene superbase P- t-Bu mediated iodoaminocyclization of 2-(1-alkynyl)benzamides is reported. The reaction works under ambient conditions and instantaneously results in the synthesis of isoindolin-1-ones in 65-97% yields, in a regio- and stereoselective manner. The exclusive formation of products with Z-geometry (across the exo C═C bond) has been confirmed through X-ray crystallography.

Regio- and Stereoselective Synthesis of Isoindolin-1-ones through BuLi-Mediated Iodoaminocyclization of 2-(1-Alkynyl)benzamides.

A simple and straightforward synthesis of isoindolin-1-ones is reported. Exclusive N-cyclization of the amide functional group, an ambident nucleophile, was accomplished for the cyclization of 2-(1-alkynyl)benzamides using n-BuLi-I/ICl. The methodology works with the primary amide and affords the desired isoindolinones in yields of 38-94%.