The direct conversion of indoles into isatins is presented. The reagent mixture NaI/IBX-SO3K, containing a sulfonylated derivative of 2-iodoxybenzoic acid, was employed to trigger this oxidative process. Moreover, the synthetic route toward IBX-SO3K and the X-ray crystal structure of the title compound are described in great detail.
Key words
hypervalent iodine - oxidation - indoles - isatins - heterocycles