2-Iodobenzoyl chloride reacts with an array of imines in acetonitrile-methanol under carbon monoxide pressure in the presence of a catalytic amount of bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) chloride/triphenylphosphine together with triethylamine to afford the corresponding isoindolin-1-ones in moderate yields. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.