Enhanced Catalytic Performance of Indenediide Palladium Pincer Complexes for Cycloisomerization: Efficient Synthesis of Alkylidene Lactams

New SCS Pd pincer complexes featuring a noninnocent indenediide backbone show high catalytic activity in cycloisomerization. A variety of alkylidene lactams (five- to seven-membered rings) have been prepared efficiently from N-tosyl alkynylamides, and good results have also been obtained with challenging alkynoic acids.