Xingyu Yuan, Yamin Dong, Yuhang Wang, Hongbo Qi, Shufeng Chen
A palladium-catalyzed cascade reaction of N-acryloyl indoles with hydrazones has been developed for the synthesis of alkenylated indolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines. This transformation proceeds through an intramolecular Heck cyclization followed by carbene capture, migratory insertion, and β-hydride elimination. Broad substrate compatibility was demonstrated for both hydrazones and N-acryloyl indoles, affording the desired products in moderate to excellent yields.