Highly Versatile Hydrogenative Functionalizations of Phthalimides Catalyzed by an Ag‐Alumina Zeolite Nanocomposite: One‐Pot Synthesis of 3‐Substituted Isoindolinones

The rational design of heterogeneous catalysts for mediating sustainable, as well as complex, organic processes is currently a hot topic in fine‐chemistry and catalysis fields. In this work, we present the first heterogeneous‐catalyzed protocol able to mediate the one‐pot synthesis of 3‐functionalized isoindolinones from phthalimides, nucleophiles, and molecular hydrogen. More specifically, the composite formed by [Ag/Al 2 O 3 ] nanomaterial and [H‐BETA] (Si/Al = 10.5) zeolite as cocatalyst constitutes a recyclable nanocatalyst to perform hydrogenative functionalizations of a diversity of phthalimides and produce C3‐functionalized isoindolinones via formation of novel CO (alkoxylation), CN (amination), and CC (arylation) bonds. For the first time, even nitrobenzenes have been employed as reagents for amination reactions at the CO of phthalimides. By applying this catalytic protocol, more than 30 examples of 3‐functionalized isoindolinone derivatives have been successfully obtained through a one‐pot hydrogenative strategy, demonstrating its general applicability. Interestingly, we have performed mechanistic, kinetic, and characterization studies that helped us to better understand the catalytic system. These studies revealed the key role of the zeolite cocatalyst, with the suitable topology and Brönsted acid sites, for driving the selectivity towards formation of the desired C3‐funcionalized isoindolinone.