A practical and efficient two-step synthesis of N-substituted
isoindolin-1-ones was developed. The one-pot reaction of 2-formylbenzoic
acid with amines and dimethyl phosphite proceeds in short time either
with conventional heating or microwave irradiation under catalyst-free
conditions to afford the corresponding N-substituted dimethyl 3-oxoisoindolin-1-ylphosphonates
in good yield which, by means of a dephosphonylation reaction with
lithium aluminum hydride, give the target N-substituted isoindolin-1-ones in
moderate to good yield.
amino phosphonates - isoindolinones - C-P
cleavage - microwave irradiation - one-pot reaction