Rh(III)-Catalyzed Synthesis of Amino-isocoumarins with N-Functionalized Cyclic Carbonates via C-H/O-H Annulation.

A practical method to access amino-isocoumarins catalyzed by a Rh(III) complex through redox-neutral C-H/O-H annulation has been disclosed. The use of N-functionalized cyclic carbonates is crucial to facilitate the catalytic turnover, and a broad spectrum of amino-isocoumarin derivatives were prepared with satisfactory yields. Amino-isocoumarin estrone conjugated with a selenocyano functionality was identified to be nearly four times as active as the marketed drug abiraterone against T47D cancer cells.