Synthesis of 2‐Aryl‐2,3‐dihydro‐3‐sulfanyl‐1H‐isoindol‐1‐ones by Pummerer‐Type Cyclization of N‐Aryl‐2‐(sulfinylmethyl)benzamides

An efficient method for the synthesis of 2-aryl-2,3-dihydro-3-sulfanyl-1H-isoindol-1-ones 1via Pummerer-type cyclization of N-aryl-2-(sulfinylmethyl)benzamides 2 is described. Thus, treatment of these sulfinyl-benzamides 2, easily prepared from 2-(bromomethyl)benzoates 3 in three steps, with Ac2O at ca. 100° resulted in the formation of the desired isoindolones 1 in generally good yields.