Palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative acylation of highly substituted indolines with α-keto acids via C–H bond activation is described. This protocol provides efficient access to C7-carbonylated indoles known to have diverse biological profiles.

The rhodium(III)-catalyzed direct functionalization of aniline C–H bonds with α-diazo compounds is described. These transformations provide a facile construction of ortho-alkylated anilines with diazo malonates or highly substituted indoles with diazo acetoacetates.