Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactions of Halogenated Ortho-acetamidostilbenes Mediated by Lewis Acids

This study aimed to synthesize a total of seven halogenated amidostilbenes 3a-3f using the Heck cross-coupling method. The synthesized stilbenes underwent further reactions with Lewis acids, such as FeCl<sub>3</sub> and SnCl<sub>4</sub>, resulting in imines 4 and indolines 5, respectively. The structure of all synthesized compounds was elucidated using FTIR, 1D- and 2D-NMR, XRD, and HRMS analysis. Furthermore, the mechanistic details underlying the formation of both imines and indolines were also discussed.