3‑Alkyl-3-(alkylamino)indolin-2-ones via Base-Mediated C‑Arylation of 2‑Nitrobenzenesulfonamides

Resin-bound intermediates prepared from polymer-supported amino acid esters, 2-nitrobenezenesulfonyl chlorides, and alcohols were used to synthesize 3-alkyl-3-(alkylamino) indolin-2-ones. The key step of the reaction sequence was the formation of a quaternary carbon via the base-mediated C-arylation of 2-nitrobenzenesulfonamides. The cleavage of the acyclic precursors from the resin and subsequent reduction of the nitro group by Zn in acetic acid triggered the spontaneous cyclization of the arylated compounds to indolinones. The synthesis was carried out using simple commercially available building blocks under mild conditions and provided the 3,3-disubstituted indolinone derivatives with good overall yields however, the arylation reaction resulted in the epimerization of the quaternary carbon.