An operationally straightforward and metal-free inter-/intramolecular oxidative diamination of vinyl aminopyridines is a common gateway to access all four azaindoline heterocycle families. 3-Amino azaindolines are formed by the reaction of ortho-vinyl N-tosyl anilines with electron-rich amines using phenyliododiaceate (PIDA) and an iodide additive.

Doubly intermolecular alkene diamination is achieved with electron-rich, terminal alkenes through the use of a hypervalent iodine (PhI(OAc)2) reagent, iodide, and electron-rich amines. Mono- and disubstituted amines combine with electron-rich alkenes, particularly o-hydroxystyrenes, to achieve the greatest level of generality. This operationally straightforward protocol, unreliant on conventional metal-based activation, is compatible with a broad range of functional groups.

A combined inter-/intramolecular oxidative diamination of terminal alkenes is described that uses a hypervalent iodine oxidant and a nucleophilic amine to produce 3-aminoindolines at room temperature. This operationally straightforward and metal-free protocol is compatible with a broad range of functional groups. A mechanism involving the conversion of the amine to an electrophilic nitrogen source is advanced and used to identify a protocol effective with substoichiometric amounts of iodide and commercially available phenyl iodobenzene diacetate (PIDA) as the stoichiometric oxidant.