Photocatalytic aerobic oxidation/semipinacol rearrangement sequence: a concise route to the core of pseudoindoxyl alkaloids

A visible light-induced photocatalytic aerobic oxidation/semipinacol rearrangement has been successfully developed. This methodology allows for efficient conversion of a wide range of indoles into the synthetically significant 2,2-disubstituted indolin-3-ones, the core structure of pseudoindoxyl alkaloids, under mild reaction conditions.