Complementary synthetic approaches to enantiomerically pure C3 alkylated or arylated NH free or N-substituted isoindolinones have been developed. The key step is elaboration of diversely substituted 2-alkyl-and arylbenzylamines, which can be submitted to a bis- metallation process followed by interception with a carbonylating agent. They can be also converted into N-alkylbromobenzylcarbamates or into bromobenzyldicarbamates and the ...