Synthesis of 2-(Arylthio)indolenines via Chemoselective Arylation of Thio-Oxindoles with Arynes

A chemoselective S-arylation reaction of thio-oxindoles with arynes is presented. The reaction was performed under mild conditions and provided a straightforward synthesis of 2-(arylthio)indolenines in good to excellent yields. Besides, this simple operational protocol is not only scalable but also has good functional group compatibilities and substrate scope. Thus, our protocol should allow for the expansion of chemical space via developing new scaffolds of thioimidates that are difficult to synthesize otherwise.