Rh(III)-Catalyzed Coupling of N‑Chloroimines with α‑Diazo-α-phosphonoacetates for the Synthesis of 2H‑Isoindoles

We report herein the first use of N-chloroimines as effective synthons for directed C–H functionalization. Rh­(III)-catalyzed coupling of N-chloroimines with α-diazo-α-phosphono­acetates allows for efficient dechlorinative/dephosphonative access to 2H-isoindoles. Further deesterification under Ni­(II) catalysis enables the complete elimination of reactivity-assisting groups and full exposure of reactivity of C3 and N2 ring atoms for attaching structurally distinct appendages.