Synthesis of 3-hydroxyoxindoles by Pd-catalysed intramolecular nucleophilic addition of aryl halides to alpha-ketoamides

Pd/PtBu3-catalysed intramolecular nucleophilic addition of aryl halides to alpha-ketoamides in the presence of nBuOH and base has been realized with high yields, providing a new, direct, and efficient synthetic strategy to obtain 3-hydroxyoxindoles.