Palladium-Catalyzed Regio- and Stereoselective Synthesis of Aryl and 3-Indolyl Substituted-4-Methylene- isoquinolin-1(2H)-ones.

Cascade cyclocarbopalladation of the readily available aryl/alkyl-substituted propargylic amides containing an aryl iodide moiety, followed by Suzuki-Miyaura coupling with arylboronic acids, allowed an efficient regio- and stereoselective synthesis of tetrasubstituted-4-methylene-isoquinolin-1(2H)-ones. Moreover cascade cyclocarbopalladation, followed by reaction with 2- alkynyltrifluoroacetanilides, accomplished a double cyclization, to afford challenging 4-methylene-isoquinolin-1(2H)-ones bearing a 3-indolyl substituent, through aminopalladation/reductive elimination