Carbon-nitrogen bond formation cascade reactions

The insertion of CO into Pd-carbon bonds has also been employed in several tandem/cascade reactions that afford five-membered nitrogen heterocycles [97]. A representative example of this approach to the construction of heterocydes involves synthesis of isoindolinones via the Pd-catalyzed coupling of 2-bromobenzaldehyde with two equivalents of a primary amine under an atmosphere of CO [97bj. As shown below (Eq. (1.57)), this method was used for the preparation of 144 in 64% yield. The mechanism of this reaction is likely via initial, reversible condensation of 2-bromobenzaldehyde with 2 equiv of the amine to form an aminal 145. Oxidative addition of the aryl bromide to Pd° followed by CO insertion provides the acylpalladium spedes 146, which is then captured by the pendant aminal to afford the observed product. An alternative mechanism involving intramolecular imine insertion into the Pd—C bond of a related acylpalladium species, followed by formation of a paUadium-amido complex and C—N bond-forming reductive elimination has also been proposed [97b],... 

---