Palladium-catalyzed oxidative carbonylation of N-sulfonyl-2-aminobiaryls through C-H bond activation and C-C, C-N bond formation under TFA-free and milder conditions has been developed. The reaction tolerates a variety of substrates and provides biologically important phenanthridinone derivatives in yields up to 94%.

A metal-free one-pot strategy has been developed for the first time to synthesize pharmaceutically important α-amino ketones from readily available benzylic secondary alcohols and amines using N-bromosuccinimide. This new reaction proceeds via three consecutive steps involving oxidation of alcohols, α-bromination of ketones, and nucleophilic substitution of α-bromo ketones to give α-amino ketones. Importantly, this novel one-pot greener reaction avoids direct usage of toxic and corrosive bromine. This methodology has been employed efficiently to synthesize pharmaceutically important amfepramone and pyrovalerone in a single step.

A novel and metal-free I2-mediated intramolecular C2 amidation of indoles under mild reaction conditions is developed. This methodology affords various indole fused tetracyclic compounds, such as benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]indoles by intramolecular C2 amidation of N-aryl substituted indoles. This C2 sulfonamidative cyclization also offers convenient access to indolo[2,3-b]indoles and dihydroindolo[2,3-b]quinoline from C3 aryl substituted indoles in good to excellent yields. Indolo[2,3-b]quinolines are also synthesized by the domino cyclization-detosylation-aromatization reaction sequence.

Rieche formylation of corannulene is shown to afford corannulenecarbaldehyde on a multi‐gram scale, in a single step, with an isolated yield of 95 %, and without the need of chromatographic purification. This compound allowed facile access to a wide range of corannulene structures. The developed synthetic routes are expected to facilitate the utility of the corannulene motif – known for its unique structural and electronic properties – in the arena of macromolecular and materials chemistry.

An extraordinarily efficient hybrid acidsassisted, palladium-catalyzed and chelating-group-assisted C À H bond activation of N-sulfonyl-2-aminobiaryls and their annulations with [60]fullerene via sequential C À C and C À N bond formation at room temperature to afford [60]fulleroazepines is demonstrated. The formation of [60]fulleroazepines is highly regioselective and tolerant to both electronwithdrawing and electron-donating groups on the aryl moiety and the reaction gives monofunctionalized fullerenes in good yields (up to 54% isolated yield and 92% based on converted C 60 ).

A high yielding, general, and mild synthetic strategy is established for aromatic annulation of the corannulene scaffold. In this approach, a corannulene-based aldehyde, ylide, or ketone compound is conjugated with an aromatic unit of choice through a Wittig reaction. The resulting stilbene-like precursor can be subjected to a photochemically induced oxidative-cyclization process to yield a corannulene structure with an extended π-framework. The generality of synthesis allows for preparation of a wide range of polycyclic aromatic arene as well as heteroarene structures. Meanwhile, the mild nature of the developed protocol permits for incorporation of reactive and functional substituents onto the fused aromatic scaffold. Furthermore, efficient and simple synthesis ensures access to significant amounts of the material in a facile manner. In essence, this work demonstrates, for the first time, that photochemical synthesis is a highly practical alternative to the known flash vacuum pyrolysis and metal catalyzed processes for the aromatic extension of the bucky-bowl structure.

Palladium-catalyzed heteroannulation of N-substituted benzamides with [60]fullerene, which proceeds through direct sp(2) C-H bond activation to form 7-membered ring pallada-intermediate with C(60), led to formation of [60]fulleroisoquinolinones in moderate to good yields (8-64% based on recovered C(60)). A plausible reaction pathway is proposed.

A novel molecular I2-catalyzed synthesis of isatins through C(sp(3))-H oxidation and intramolecular C-N bond formation of 2'-aminoacetophenones with excellent yields up to 97% under transition metal, base, additive, peroxide and ligand free conditions is described. The present protocol is suitable for gram scale synthesis of isatins and retained its high yield. Further, the synthetic utility of this present reaction towards synthesis of bioactive 3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles and oxindoles is demonstrated.