Nickel-Catalyzed Intramolecular Arylcyanation for the Synthesis of 3,3-Disubstituted Oxindoles.

A nickel-catalyzed arylcyanation reaction for the synthesis of 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles has been developed. This method features a bench-stable precatalyst system and serves as an economical alternative to the existing palladium-catalyzed arylcyanations described to date. A wide scope of oxindole products were accessible in moderate to good yields, and the rich chemistry of the newly installed nitrile functional group was demonstrated in the synthesis of various oxindole derivatives.