Magnesium-Catalyzed Electrophilic Trifluoromethylation: Facile Access to All-Carbon Quaternary Centers in Oxindoles.

The first example of a magnesium-catalyzed direct trifluoromethylation of 3-substituted oxindoles using an electrophilic hypervalent iodine reagent is reported. The reaction proceeds under unprecedented mild conditions leading to the formation of an all-carbon quaternary center in oxindoles in high chemical yield and demonstrates excellent functional group tolerance. In addition to trifluoromethyl, other perfluoroalkyl groups can be introduced with similar level of efficacy.