More than 35 new compounds were prepared rapidly in moderate to excellent yields with high diastereoselectivities by K₂CO₃-promoted abnormal 1,3-diploar cycloaddition of isatin N, N′-cyclic azomethine imines with chalcones.

A catalytic α-fluorination reaction between the aryl acetic acid and selectfluor was established in the presence of a boron catalyst. A number of α-fluoro aryl acetic acids were generated in up to 96% yield, including several bioactive molecules.

Allylation of N-unsubstituted isatin N,N′-cyclic azomethine imines with Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates in the presence of 1–10 mol% DABCO in DCM at room temperature, rapidly gave N-allylated and N, β-diallylated isatin N,N′-cyclic azomethine imine 1,3-dipoles in moderate to high yields. The reaction features mild reaction conditions, easily practical operation, and short reaction times in most cases. Furthermore, the alkylated products were transformed into novel bicyclic spiropyrrolidine oxoindole derivatives through the [3+2] or [3+3]-cycloaddition with maleimides or Knoevenagel adducts.

An environmental-friendly and mild method has been successfully developed for the synthesis of 3-aryl-2-nitro-2,3-dihydrobenzofurans through domino Friedel–Crafts/substitution reaction of (Z)-bromonitrostyrenes with sesamol. A variety of substrates performed well in this reaction, and the corresponding 3-aryl-2-nitro-2,3-dihydrobenzofurans were obtained in excellent yields (up to 99%). Significantly, water served as the sole green solvent. Remarkably, the crude products were purified by simple filtration, washing with water and drying in oven without any organic solvents or silica gel.

A general procedure for the tandem arylation reaction of arylbromide with heteroaryl compounds was developed by using Pd(PPh₃)₂Cl₂/(±)-BINAP (1,1′-Binaphthalene-2,2′-diylbis (diphenylphosphane)) as catalytic system. Both sulphur- and oxygen-containing heterocycles were also employed as an efficient reagent for arylation, which gave moderate to excellent yields with moderate to good regioselectivities (5:1 to > 20:1 ir (isomer ratio)). Except for dihydrobenzofurans, indolines and indolinones, this type of tandem reaction was also expanded to synthesize isochromanes. The synthesized new compounds were well characterized through different spectroscopic techniques, such as ¹H and ¹³C NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), and mass spectral analysis.