Sulfenylation of some pyrroles and indoles

Methylsulfenylation of 1-substituted pyrroles and indoles was observed using 1-(methylthio)morpholine and an acid catalyst or with methylsulfenyl chloride and excess pyridine. 1-Substituents which are activating or weakly deactivating towards electrophilic substitution such as alkyl, 2-cyanoethyl, dimethylamino, trialkylsilyl, 2-chloroethyl and 2-phenylsulfonylethyl were used. The 2-chloroethyl and 2-phenylsulfonylethyl groups which can be removed with a strong base can be used to obtain 1H-methylthiopyrroles and indoles. 1-Phenylsulfonyl and 1-acetyl substituents are too strongly deactivating for these sulfenylations to be successful. Mono and disubstituted pyrroles and monosubstituted indoles can be isolated from these reactions, however, because the methylthio group is activating towards electrophilic substitution the main advantage of these reactions is the synthesis of tri and tetrasubstituted pyrroles and disubstituted indoles. 1-Methyl-2,3,4,5-tetra-methylthiopyrrole and 1-methyl-2,3-dimethylthioindole are oxidized to the corresponding 3,4-disulfoxide and 3-sulfoxide and with excess oxidizing agent to the tetrasulfone and disulfone, respectively.     

Facile,efficient and eco-friendly synthesis of 5-sulfenyl tetrazole derivatives of indoles and pyrroles

A concise, two-step eco-friendly approach towards the synthesis of 5-sulfenyl tetrazole derivatives of indoles and pyrroles, is reported. The synthesis comprises the oxone-mediated thiocyanation of the starting heterocycles towards intermediate 3-thiocyanato indoles and 2-thiocyanato pyrroles, and their subsequent treatment with sodium azide in 2-propanol/water under zinc bromide promotion.     

Lewis acid catalyzed direct cyanation of indoles and pyrroles with N-cyano-N-phenyl-p-toluenesulfonamide (NCTS)

BF(3)·OEt(2)-catalyzed direct cyanation of indoles and pyrroles using a less toxic, bench-stable, and easily handled electrophilic cyanating agent N-cyano-N-phenyl-para-toluenesulfonamide (NCTS) affords 3-cyanoindoles and 2-cyanopyrroles in good yields with excellent regioselectivity. The substrate scope is broad with respect to indoles and pyrroles.     

Triflic acid-catalyzed highly stereoselective friedel-crafts aminoalkylation of indoles and pyrroles

A simple and efficient synthesis to both enantiomers of highly enantiomerically enriched alpha-trifluoromethyl-alpha-(heteroaryl)-glycine derivatives via highly stereoselective aminoalkylation of indoles and pyrroles is described. The triflic acid-catalyzed reaction of enantiomeric 3,3,3-trifluoro-pyruvate-alpha-methylbenzyl imines with indoles and pyrroles and the subsequent Pd-catalyzed hydrogenolysis of the methylbenzyl group provided the products in high yields and excellent enantioselectivities.     

Formal [4+2] Reaction between 1,3‐Diynes and Pyrroles: Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Indole Synthesis by Double Hydroarylation

Indole synthesis by a gold(I)‐catalyzed intermolecular formal [4+2] reaction between 1,3‐diynes and pyrroles has been developed. This reaction involves the hydroarylation of 1,3‐diynes with pyrroles followed by an intramolecular hydroarylation to give the 4,7‐disubstituted indoles. This reaction can also be applied to the synthesis of carbazoles when indoles are used as the nucleophiles instead of pyrroles.     

Novel gallium-mediated C3-allylation of indoles and pyrroles in aqueous media promoted by Bu4NBr

A mild and efficient protocol for the coupling of indoles and pyrroles with allyl halides such as allyl bromide, crotyl bromide and propargyl bromide in the presence of gallium metal in a Bu₄NBr-DMF-H₂O system has been developed. The reaction is equally effective when cadmium is used in lieu of gallium and the corresponding 3-allyl indoles and 3-allyl pyrroles were obtained in almost comparable yields.     

Enantioselective and regioselective indium(III)-catalyzed addition of pyrroles to isatins

The indium(III)-catalyzed enantioselective and regioselective addition of pyrroles to isatins is described. The effects of metal and solvent on the reactivity and selectivity are compared and discussed, demonstrating that the indium(III)-indapybox complex provides the most effective catalyst. A case of divergent reactivity between pyrroles and indoles is presented.     

Arylsulfenylation of heterocyclic compounds with arylsulfenamides in the presence of phosphorus(V) oxochloride

The electrophilic sulfenylation of a series of indoles and pyrroles with arylsulfenamides in the presence of phophorus(V) oxohalide has been studied. It has been shown that arylsulfenylation of indoles led to products with substitution at position 3, while in the case of pyrrole it occurred at position 2.     

Selective and Efficient Formylation of Indoles (C3) and Pyrroles (C2) Using 2,4,6‐Trichloro‐1,3,5‐Triazine/Dimethylformamide (TCT/DMF) Mixed Reagent

This study introduces an efficient method for the selective formylation of indoles and pyrroles at the positions of C(3) and C(2), respectively. The mixture of three equivalents of N ,N‐dimethylformamide and one equivalent of 2,4,6‐trichloro‐1,3,5‐triazine (cyanuric chloride) generates an easy handling formylating agent for the efficient formylation of these classes of compounds to give the corresponding aldehydes under mild reaction conditions. This procedure was highly efficient, and a range of formylated indoles and pyrroles were obtained in good to excellent yields.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed functionalization of pyrroles and indoles with propargyl alcohols

Several ruthenium-catalyzed atom-economic transformations of propargyl alcohols with pyrroles or indoles leading to alkylated, propargylated, or annulated heteroaromatics are reported. The mechanistically distinct reactions are catalyzed by a single ruthenium(0) complex containing a redox-coupled dienone ligand. The mode of activation regarding the propargyl alcohols determines the reaction pathway and depends on the alcohols' substitution pattern. Secondary substrates form alkenyl complexes by a 1,2-hydrogen shift, whereas the transformation of tertiary substrates involves allenylidene intermediates. 1-Vinyl propargyl alcohols are converted by a cascade allylation/cyclization sequence. The environmentally benign processes are of broad scope and allow the selective synthesis of highly functionalized pyrroles and indoles generating water as the only waste product.     

Cross-dehydrogenative coupling of secondary benzylic ethers with indoles and pyrroles

Current studies on cross-dehydrogenative coupling of benzylic ethers for new C–C bond construction predominantly focus on primary ether moieties. Oxidative cross-coupling of secondary benzylic ethers remains elusive. Herein, we describe the first cross-dehydrogenative coupling of secondary benzylic ethers with indoles and pyrroles for tertiary ether construction. A broad range of α-aryl substituted isochromans react with a variety of electronically varied indoles and pyrroles smoothly under mild metal-free conditions in high efficiency. In addition, the catalytic asymmetric variant was preliminarily explored, and corresponding tertiary ether was obtained in 69% ee.     

N-hydroxyimides as efficient ligands for the copper-catalyzed N-arylation of pyrrole, imidazole, and indole

An experimentally simple, efficient, and inexpensive catalyst system was developed for the N-arylation of pyrroles, indoles, and imidazole with aryl and heteroaryl iodides, bromides, and chlorides by applying CuI as catalyst, N-hydroxysuccinimide (L1), N-hydroxymaleimide (L2), or N-hydroxyphthalimide (L3) as ligand, CH3ONa as base, and DMSO as solvent. A variety of functional groups are tolerated in the reaction, including those that are not compatible with Pd-catalyzed amidation methodology.     

Ruthenium‐Catalyzed Functionalization of Pyrroles and Indoles with Propargyl Alcohols

Several ruthenium‐catalyzed atom‐economic transformations of propargyl alcohols with pyrroles or indoles leading to alkylated, propargylated, or annulated heteroaromatics are reported. The mechanistically distinct reactions are catalyzed by a single ruthenium(0) complex containing a redox‐coupled dienone ligand. The mode of activation regarding the propargyl alcohols determines the reaction pathway and depends on the alcohols’ substitution pattern. Secondary substrates form alkenyl complexes by a 1,2‐hydrogen shift, whereas the transformation of tertiary substrates involves allenylidene intermediates. 1‐Vinyl propargyl alcohols are converted by a cascade allylation/cyclization sequence. The environmentally benign processes are of broad scope and allow the selective synthesis of highly functionalized pyrroles and indoles generating water as the only waste product.     

Gold(I)-catalyzed rearrangement of 3-silyloxy-1,5-enynes: an efficient synthesis of benzo[b]thiophenes, dibenzothiophenes, dibenzofurans, and indole derivatives

With the IPr ligand (IPr=1,3-bis-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) on gold(I) excellent yields in the benzanellation of 2-substituted thiophenes, benzothiophenes, pyrroles, benzofurans, and indoles were achieved. The 1-siloxybut-3-ynyl side chains, incorporated in the anellation, are easily accessible by the addition of a propargyl metal reagent to a formyl group and silylation of the alcohol. This conveniently allows an anellation at the position of the formyl group under mild conditions. All reactions involve a 2,3-shift of the side chain in the anellation step and thus, provide an easy access to specific substitution patterns. Only in the case of 2-substituted indoles with their highly nucleophilic 3-position a direct hydroarylation without shift is observed. On the other hand, 3-substituted indoles give the same products as 2-substituted indoles. Then, a 3,2-shift in the indole ring system has to be involved.     

Catalytic enantioselective pyrrole alkylations of alpha,beta-unsaturated 2-acyl imidazoles

[reaction: see text] Enantioselective additions of pyrroles to alpha,beta-unsaturated 2-acyl imidazoles catalyzed by the bis(oxazolinyl)pyridine-scandium(III) triflate complex (1) have been accomplished. The alpha,beta-unsaturated 2-acyl imidazoles were synthesized in high yields through Wittig olefination. A short, enantioselective synthesis of the alkaloid (+)-heliotridane has been accomplished utilizing this methodology and a 2-acyl imidazole cleavage and cyclization. This methodology was then extended to the one-pot asymmetric synthesis of 2-substituted indoles.     

Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of indoles and pyrroles by chiral alkene-phosphine ligands

A variety of chiral binaphthyl-based terminal-alkene-phosphine hybrid ligands were synthesized in four steps with (S)-BINOL as a starting material and utilized for the Pd-catalyzed enantioselective allylic alkylations of indoles and pyrroles to afford the desired products in high yields with good to excellent ee's.     

Synthesis of Iso-condensed Heteroaromatic Pyrroles and Their Application in the Preparation of Conducting Polymers

Iso-condensed heteroaromatic pyrroles 1 are 10 -electron aromatic compounds. They are of interest from both theoretical and synthetic points of view. They are the cyclic analogues of heteroaromatic ortho-quinodimethanes 2, and can react with dienophiles in a Diels-Alder reaction to give the synthetically useful cycloadducts 3. Many of them are also of potential pharmaceutical importance because they are isosteric with indoles. Iso-condensed heteroaromatic pyrroles 1 can be used also as the monomers for the synthesis of new conducting polymers 5 with special properties and characteristics. However, the methods for the efficient preparation of the iso-condensed heteroaromatic pyrroles are quite limited. Iso-condensed heteroaromatic pyrroles are generally unstable in acidic conditions and are easily oxidized by air. In our laboratories, we developed three methods for the preparation of this labile heterocyclic ring system under acidic, neutral, and basic conditions.1 Synthesis of the conjugated systems such as 6 for OLED applications will also be discussed.     

Novel and direct oxidative cyanation reactions of heteroaromatic compounds mediated by a hypervalent iodine(III) reagent

The hypervalent iodine(III) reagent phenyliodine bis(trifluoroacetate) (PIFA) mediates the selective cyanation reactions of a wide range of electron-rich heteroaromatic compounds such as pyrroles, thiophenes, and indoles under mild conditions. These reactions proceed via a cation radical intermediate, and the key for the successful transformation presumably depends on the oxidation-reduction potential of the substrates used. The synthetic utility has been demonstrated through the conversion of these biologically important pyrroles 2f and 2g. [reaction: see text]     

Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Rearrangement of 3‐Silyloxy‐1,5‐enynes: An Efficient Synthesis of Benzo[b]thiophenes,Dibenzothiophenes, Dibenzofurans,and Indole Derivatives

With the IPr ligand (IPr=1,3‐bis‐(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene) on gold(I) excellent yields in the benzanellation of 2‐substituted thiophenes, benzothiophenes, pyrroles, benzofurans, and indoles were achieved. The 1‐siloxybut‐3‐ynyl side chains, incorporated in the anellation, are easily accessible by the addition of a propargyl metal reagent to a formyl group and silylation of the alcohol. This conveniently allows an anellation at the position of the formyl group under mild conditions. All reactions involve a 2,3‐shift of the side chain in the anellation step and thus, provide an easy access to specific substitution patterns. Only in the case of 2‐substituted indoles with their highly nucleophilic 3‐position a direct hydroarylation without shift is observed. On the other hand, 3‐substituted indoles give the same products as 2‐substituted indoles. Then, a 3,2‐shift in the indole ring system has to be involved.     

Catalytic asymmetric Friedel-Crafts/protonation of nitroalkenes and N-heteroaromatics

The catalytic asymmetric Friedel-Crafts/protonation of indoles and pyrroles with α-substituted nitroalkenes to give the corresponding adducts in a highly anti-selective manner was achieved by an imidazoline-aminophenol (L2)-Cu complex. The anti-adducts could be successfully transformed to biochemically important α-substituted β-heteroarylalkylamines.