Palladium-catalyzed insertion of N-tosylhydrazones for the synthesis of isoindolines

Isoindolines are synthesized by palladium-catalyzed coupling reaction of N-(2-iodobenzyl) anilines with alpha,beta-unsaturated N-tosylhydrazones. The reaction has several potential advantages: (1) toleration of a wide range of functional groups, (2) easy to handle and with mild conditions, (3) enriches the isoindoline family, (4) two new bonds form in one step.