Hydroarylation of bicyclic, unsaturated dicarboximides: access to aryl-substituted, bridged perhydroisoindoles

The C–C coupling of the two bicyclic, unsaturated dicarboximides 6 and 8 with aryl and hetaryl halides gave under reductive Heck conditions the 5-substituted N-phenylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2,3-dicarboximides 7 and 9. Reduction of these imides opens a new access to the bridged perhydroisoindole derivatives 12 and 14 with prospective biological activity.