Visible-light photoredox intramolecular difluoroacetamidation: facile synthesis of 3,3-difluoro-2-oxindoles from bromodifluoroacetamides

We report an operationally simple, visible-light-driven protocol for intramolecular C-H difluoroacetamidation of arenes for the synthesis of biologically relevant 3,3-difluoro-2-oxindoles at room temperature. Using fac-Ir(ppy)(3) as a photocatalyst and a 3 W blue LED as a light source, an array of difluoroxindoles was prepared from rapidly available tertiary aryl bromodifluoroacetamides in moderate to excellent yields.