A robust, efficient catalyst system for enolate arylation leading to quaternary 3-aminooxindoles

A catalyst screening programme has revealed that a combination of Pd(0) and the N-heterocyclic carbene ligand SIPr forms a particularly robust and efficient catalyst for the formation of important quaternary 3-aminooxindoles via intramolecular enolate arylation. Catalyst loadings of 0.1 mol % give complete conversion in under 4 h.