Palladium Catalyzed Enantioselective α -Carbonylative Arylation for De Novo Construction of Chiral Indolin-3-ones

A Pd-catalyzed enantioselective carbonylative α-arylation of α-amino esters affording chiral indolin-3-ones is described. This reaction offers a method for the de novo synthesis of chiral 2,2-disubstituted indolin-3-ones utilizing CO as carbonyl source. A range of chiral 2,2-disubstituted indolin-3-ones was afforded at ambient pressure in good yield and high enantioselectivity. Mechanistic investigations, supported by kinetic analysis and DFT calculations, provide evidence that the reaction proceeds via stereodetermining reductive elimination.