Rh(III)-Catalyzed [4 + 1] Annulation of Benzamides with Vinyl Cyclic Carbonates for the Synthesis of Isoindolinones

A Rh(III)-catalyzed C–H bond activation and subsequent [4+1] annulation of benzamides with vinyl cyclic carbonates have been developed for the synthesis of isoindolinones, in which the electron-rich alkenes could serve as one-carbon units. This reaction proceeds smoothly with high regioselectivity under oxidant- and silver-free conditions and exhibits broad substrate scope and functional group tolerance including some biological active materials. The scale-up reaction and derivatizations of the product further demonstrate the potential synthetic utility of this transformation.