Synthesis of Oxindoles through Silver-Catalyzed Trifluoromethylation-, Difluoromethylation- and Arylsulfonylation-Cyclization Reaction of N-Arylacrylamides

Efficient synthesis of trifluoromethyl and difluoromethyl-substituted oxindoles was achieved by reacting Langlois reagent or Baran reagent with N-arylacrylamides. However, the reaction of aryl sulfinic acid sodium salts with N-arylacrylamides did not give the desulfinative products, instead, aryl sulfonated products were produced.