Iron-Catalyzed Direct Oxidative Alkylation and Hydroxylation of Indolin-2-ones with Alkyl-Substituted N-Heteroarenes.

Presented herein is the first direct alkylation and hydroxylation reaction between two different C(sp3 )-H bonds, indolin-2-ones and alkyl-substituted N-heteroarenes, through an oxidative cross-coupling reaction. The reaction is catalyzed by a simple iron salt under mild ligand-free and base-free conditions. The reaction is environmentally benign, employs air (molecular oxygen) as the terminal oxidant and oxygen source for the synthesis of O-containing compounds, and produces only water as the byproduct.