Experimental and theoretical study of I₂-catalyzed dialkenyl oxindoles synthesis from isatins and α-cyano ketene ethylene dithioacetal

ABSTRACT

An I₂-catalyzed synthesis of dialkenyl oxindoles from isatins and α-cyano ketene ethylene dithioacetal is described. Both electron-withdrawing groups (EWGs) and alkylthio groups exert effects on the reactivities of ketene dithioacetals. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggested that the highest negative charge density on the α-carbon of α-cyano ketene ethylene dithioacetal and the largest positive charge on C(3) of the related key intermediate are both responsible for the superior activity of α-cyano ketene ethylene dithioacetal. The cationic intermediate derived from 2-(1,3-dithian-2-ylidene)acetonitrile is the most stable but the least positive, thus the corresponding alkenylhydroxyoxindole is the thermally stable and separable product. Other ketene dithioacetals are less nucleophilic, and their corresponding cationic intermediates are probably not positive enough to enable further transformation.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• C–C coupling
• dialkenyl oxindoles
• halogen