Photoinduced Palladium-Catalyzed Intermolecular Radical Cascade Cyclization of N-Arylacrylamides with Unactivated Alkyl Bromides.

A mild visible-light-induced Pd-catalyzed intermolecular radical cascade reaction of N-arylacrylamides with unactivated alkyl bromides is disclosed. Photoexcited Pd complexes transfer a single electron in this protocol, and hybrid alkyl Pd-radical species are involved as the key reaction intermediates. Sophisticated bioactive oxindole derivatives bearing various substituents and substitution patterns can be efficiently afforded through this approach.