The series of 3-monofunctionalized 2-oxindoles 2 were conveniently synthesized from reactions between anilide 1 and phenyliodine(III) diacetate (PIDA) through hypervalent iodine mediated C(sp2)–C(sp2) bond formation followed by a subsequent deacylation reaction. This metal-free method, shown to provide direct access to an important oxindole intermediate, could be applied to the total synthesis of naturally occurring horsfiline.

The synthetically and biologically important 4-methyl and 4-methoxy tetrahydro-γ-carboline compounds were readily synthesized in high yields from an aryl amine and a 5-amino-3-oxopentanoate derivative through a series of reactions of enamination, oxidative annulation, deprotection/lactamization and the final reduction reaction of the carbonyl group. The underpinning strategy involves the oxidative C(sp(2))-C(sp(2)) bond formation realized by either Pd(OAc)2/Cu(OAc)2 or a hypervalent iodine reagent.

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