Access to ring-fused azepino[3,4-b]indole-1,5-dione derivatives by ring-closing olefin metathesis

The new ring-fused azepino[5,6-b]indole derivatives 3, 4 and 5 were prepared from diene precursors 8, 9, 13 and 15 in fair yields via a final ring-closing olefin metathesis.     

Synthesis of benz[5,6]azepino[4,3-b]indoles by 1,7-electrocyclisation of azomethine ylides

A new, general route to the benz[5,6]azepino[4,3-b]indole ring system has been developed via the 1,7-dipolar electrocyclisation reactions of azomethine ylides derived from easily available 3-formyl indole derivatives. The intermediacy of azomethine ylides was shown by the trapping of the proposed α,β:γ,δ-conjugated dipole with N-phenylmaleimide.     

Synthesis of some cyclic indolic peptoids as potential antibacterials

The synthesis of cyclic peptoids containing an indole hydrophobic scaffold has been realised through the ring-closing metathesis of diallylated precursors. The precursors and their cyclic counterparts possessed poor antibacterial activity in contrast to previously reported cyclic peptoids containing hydrophobic scaffolds.     

Synthesis of 2,5-bis{(diethyl-3′-indolyl)methyl}furan and its N,N′-dimetallated complexes (lithium, sodium and potassium): X-ray crystal structures of 2,5-bis{(diethyl-3′-indolyl)methyl}furan and the polymeric tetrahydrofuran adduct of the dilithiated complex

The synthesis of 2,5-bis{(diethyl-3′-indolyl)methyl}furan by the acid catalysed condensation of 2,5-bis(diethylhydroxymethyl)furan with indole is presented. Dilithium, disodium and dipotassium derivatives are prepared by the reaction of the bis(indole) with n-BuLi, NaH and K, respectively, in the presence of various Lewis bases. The X-ray structures of 2,5-bis{(diethyl-3′-indolyl)methyl}furan and the dilithiated derivative (as a polymeric tetrahydrofuran adduct) are reported.     

Synthesis of cyclic dienamide using ruthenium-catalyzed ring-closing metathesis of ene-ynamide

Ring-closing metathesis of ene-ynamide, which has alkene and ynamide moieties in a molecule, using a second-generation ruthenium carbene complex produced nitrogen-containing heterocycles, which have a dienamide moiety, in high yields. Diels-Alder reaction of the cyclized product with dienophile proceeded smoothly to give an indole or quinoline derivative in high yield.     

Pathways of Electrochemical Oxidation of Indolic Compounds

The electrochemical behaviour of indole and a group of indole‐containing compounds with a substituent at the C3 position, indol‐3‐acetamide (IAM), tryptamine, gramine, indole acetic acid (IAA), indole propionic acid (IPA), indole butyric acid (IBA) and tryptophan, was investigated at a glassy carbon electrode, in order to determine their oxidation pathways. Indole undergoes one irreversible pH dependent oxidation, whereas the oxidation process of indole derivatives was more complex, a two step, the oxidation at C2 position on the pyrrole ring followed by the hydroxylation at the C7 position of the benzene moiety of indoles, irreversible pH dependent oxidation.     

A short synthesis of 3,6-disubstituted N-2-thienyl/aryl-indoles

A short synthetic strategy for 3,6-disubstituted-N-2-thienyl/aryl-indoles, involving reaction of substituted 2,4-difluoro/dichloro-styrene epoxide with substituted 2-formylaminothiophenes or substituted N-formylanilines in the presence of a base followed by treatment with an acid, has been developed. The method was applied for the synthesis of a number of indoles with a variety of substituents at 1, 3, and 6 positions of the indole moiety.     

Synthetic approaches towards an indole alkaloid isolated from the marine sponge Halichondria melanodocia

The exocyclic analogue of the indole alkaloid isolated from the marine sponge Halichondria melanodocia has been prepared via olefination of a phosphonoester derived from 3-(2-bromoacyl)indole. The formation of an unexpected indolylazepine is also discussed.     

Novel cyclometallated Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes with indole derivatives and their use as catalysts in Heck reaction

Several palladacycle and platinacycle complexes have been prepared from easily available or naturally occurring indole derivatives, such as gramine and related compounds. Dimeric complexes were obtained with Pd(OAc)₂, while Pt(DMSO)₂Cl₂ mainly afforded monomeric structures. A notable feature of these reactions was the formation of new M-C bonds between Pd or Pt and C-2 and C-3 of the indole ring. With ligands like 2-(2′-pyridyl)-1H-indoles, N-N metallacycles were generated instead: in fact new C-M bonds with the C-3 position could only form if N-substituted indoles were used. The reactivity of Pd dimeric complexes with PPh₃, sym-collidine and DMAP was explored to obtain monomeric complexes. Three such compounds were prepared, one of which was characterized by X-ray diffraction. Metathetical reactions were carried out to effect a ligand exchange replacing OAc with halide ions, with the aim to synthesize μ-Cl and μ-Br bridged structures. Turning to the synthesis of hetaryl complexes, functionalization of the C-2 position on the indole ring was achieved. These complexes were prepared by substitution reactions starting from gramine and/or its alkylammonium salts.     

Synthesis of (Z)-1-benzylidene-3-(1H-indol-1-yl)-1H-indene-2,2(3H)-dicarbonitriles via three-component reaction of 2-alkynylbenzaldehyde, malononitrile, and indole

Three-component reaction of 2-alkynylbenzaldehyde, malononitrile, and indole under mild conditions is described, which generates the desired (Z)-1-benzylidene-3-(1H-indol-1-yl)-1H-indene-2,2(3H)-dicarbonitriles in moderate to good yields. This reaction proceeds smoothly with high selectivity. The tandem condensation, nucleophilic addition, and 5-exo-cyclization may be involved in the process.     

Synthesis of Some New Spiro,Isolated and Fused Heterocycles Based on 1H‐indole‐2‐One

The reaction of 3‐benzoylcyanomethylidine‐1(H)‐indole‐2‐one ( 1 ) with a variety of active methylene compounds, thioglycolic acid, glycine, hydrazine hydrate and phenyl hydrazine led to the formation of compounds 4a‐d‐10 . 3‐Thiosemicarbazide‐1(H)‐indole‐2‐one 2 on reaction with α‐halocarbonyl compounds gave compounds 11a‐c, 12a‐c . The latter compounds on heating with phosphoryl chloride, cyclization takes place via losing water to give the angular tetracyclic compounds 13a,b and 14a‐c . Cyanoacetic hydrazone derivative 3 readily cyclized upon heating in triethyl orthoformate to give the tricyclic system, oxopyridazino indole 15 . On the other hand, the reaction of 3 with benzylidine malononitrile and benzylidene ethylcyanoactate gave the pyranyl hydrazone derivatives 16a,b .     

Sequential ring-closing metathesis–vinyl halide Heck cyclization reactions: access to the tetracyclic ring system of ervitsine

A chemoselective indole-templated ring-closing metathesis is used to assemble the cyclohepta[b]indole substructure of the indole alkaloid ervitsine. A subsequent intramolecular Heck coupling of the resulting alkene functionality with an amino-tethered vinyl halide accomplishes the closure of the unique 2-azabicyclo[4.3.1]decane framework of the alkaloid with concomitant incorporation of the exocyclic E-ethylidene substituent.     

TEMPO-catalyzed oxidative dimerization and cyanation of indoles for the synthesis of 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-3-oxoindoline-2-carbonitriles

A method for the combinative oxidative homo dimerization and cyanation of free indole derivatives catalysed by TEMPO along with silver carbonate was demonstrated for the first time This new methodology is both atom and step efficient and is applicable to a broad scope of substrates, allowing the synthesis of a range of synthetically valuable 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-3-oxoindoline- 2-carbonitriles in moderate to excellent yields. Furthermore, selected compounds 6b and 6g exhibit moderate to good anti-schistosomicidal activities.     

Samarium triiodide-catalyzed conjugate addition of indoles with electron-deficient olefins

The SmI₃-catalyzed reaction of indoles with electron-deficient olefins generated the corresponding Michael adducts in high yields. The substitution on the indole nucleus occurred exclusively at the 3-position and N-alkylation products have not been observed.     

The use of anhydrous CeCl3 as a catalyst for the synthesis of 3-sulfenyl indoles

Anhydrous CeCl₃ was successfully used as a catalyst for the synthesis of several 3-sulfenyl indoles in good to excellent yields through the reaction of indole with N-(alkylthio) and N-(arylthio)phthalimides in DMF.     

Incorporation of an indole-containing diarylbutylamine pharmacophore into furo[2,3-a]carbazole ring systems

Due to concurrent oxidation of the indole moiety in the starting carbazole alkenol, an epoxidation route aiming at incorporation of a conformationally constrained diarylbutylamine failed to give the desired furo[2,3-a]carbazole ring system. Instead, an indole epoxide intermediate was generated, which underwent rearrangement involving participation of a vicinal OH group. The required furo[2,3-a]carbazole could, however, be accessed via a Hg²⁺-induced cyclisation of a carbazole alkynol.     

Cage-like monoterpenoid indole alkaloids with antimicrobial activity from Alstonia scholaris

Three new cage-like monoterpenoid indole alkaloids, scholarisines T–V (1–3), together with three known analogues 4–6 were isolated from the leaves of Alstonia scholaris. Among them, 2 represents a unique degraded derivative, whereas 3 shares a rare 5,16-seco lactone scaffold. The structures were mainly established by extensive spectroscopic data analyses, and their plausible biosynthesis pathway from picrinine were proposed. Compared with positive control cefotaxime, alkaloid 2 showed remarkable antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis with an MIC value of 3.12?μg/mL, whereas 1–3 exhibited significant antibacterial effects on Escherichia coli with an MIC value of 0.78?μg/mL.     

Synthesis of novel 1,7-annulated 4,6-dimethoxyindoles

A range of new 1,7-annulated indole derivatives has been prepared via a ring-closing metathesis approach starting from N-allyl-7-formyl indoles.     

[3+2] Cycloaddition of metal-containing azomethine ylides for highly efficient synthesis of mitosene skeleton

Efficient synthesis of tricyclic indole derivatives bearing a substituent at the 3-position of the indole nucleus was achieved by the [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of transition metal-containing azomethine ylides derived from N-(o-alkynylphenyl)imines with vinyl ethers. Third-row transition metal complexes, especially PtCl₂, turned out to be highly efficient for the reaction of internal alkynes and imidate substrates with wide generality. Moreover, as strong support for the reaction mechanism, the intermediate Pt-carbene complex was found to undergo intramolecular C-H bond insertion reaction to give tetracyclic indoline derivatives when benzyl vinyl ether was employed as a dipolarophile. This protocol provided a facile synthesis of highly functionalized tricyclic indole derivatives found as the basic skeleton of the mitosene family, such as mitomycin C.     

The Witkop-Winterfeldt oxidation converts tetrahydropyridoindoles into pyrroloquinolones and cinnolines by an unprecedented scaffold rearrangement

The Fischer indole reaction between phenylhydrazines and tosyl-4-piperidone furnishes tetrahydropyrido[4,3-b]indoles. In a Witkop-Winterfeldt-oxidation using ozone such indole derivatives are converted into medium-sized dicarbonyl ring systems, which cyclize to pyrroloquinolones. A detailed study of the reaction intermediates and the characterization of a cinnoline betaine side product formed by an unprecedented ring closure mechanism are reported.