Facile Synthesis of Bis(isoindolinone) through Carbonylative Cyclization and Dimerization of Phenylimine with Nickel(0) Complexes

A simple and convenient synthetic method for obtaining the novel bis(isoindolinones) 2a−d starting from aryl chlorides is described, using phenylimines with stoichiometric amounts of tetrakis(trimethylphosphine)nickel(0) as starting materials under a CO atmosphere (1 bar) at room temperature. The formation mechanism was proposed and discussed. The intermediate chelate arylnickel(II) complex 5d was also isolated and structurally characterized.