Metal- and Oxidant-Free Modular Approach To Access <i>N</i>‑Alkoxy Oxindoles via Aryne Annulation

An unprecedented metal- and oxidant-free (intermolecular) approach to access <i>N</i>-alkoxy oxindoles via [3 + 2] cycloadition of <i>in situ</i> generated electrophilic species <i>viz</i>. aryne and (putative) aza-oxyallyl cation is reported. This approach is amenable to both C3-unsubstituted as well as C3-substituted oxindoles. A one-pot manipulation further makes this reaction highly practical. The versatility of this approach was demonstrated through valuable synthetic transformations