Copper-catalyzed Meerwein carboarylation of alkenes with anilines to form 3-benzyl-3-alkyloxindole

A simple and direct route for double C-C bond formation by copper-catalyzed Meerwein carboarylation process has been developed. In the presence of CuI (5 mol%), tert-butyl nitrite and anilines, a wide variety of N-arylacrylamides underwent tandem Meerwein arylation/C-H cyclization to produce pharmaceutically important 3-benzyl-3-alkyloxindole in moderate to good yield.