Isocyanide Insertion–Cyclization Reaction for Imidazoisoindol-5-imine Scaffold Synthesis: A Selective Solvatochromic Fluorescent Probe for Methanol Detection

An efficient, ligand-free, and Pd-catalyzed method for the synthesis of imidazoisoindole imine scaffolds with satisfactory yields via C–C and C–N bond formation has been developed. The synthesized scaffolds have unique potential for selective MeOH detection from other solvents, especially EtOH. The appealing features of this transformation are phosphinic ligand-free conditions, the use of a small amount of Pd­(OAc)2, and a practical procedure for the synthesis of imidazoisoindole imine scaffolds.