Recent Advances on Direct Functionalization of Indoles in Aqueous Media

Indoles and their derivatives have dominated a significant proportion of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds and play an essential role in synthetic and medicinal chemistry, pesticides, and advanced materials. Compared with conventional synthetic strategies, direct functionalization of indoles provides straightforward access to construct diverse indole scaffolds. As we enter an era emphasizing green and sustainable chemistry, utilizing environment-friendly solvents represented by water demonstrates great potential in synthesizing valuable indole derivatives. This review aims to depict the critical aspects of aqueous-mediated indoles functionalization over the past decade and discusses the future challenges and prospects in this fast-growing field. For the convenience of readers, this review is classified into three parts according to the bonding modes (C−C, C−N, and C−S bonds), which focus on the diversity of indole derivatives, the prominent role of water in the chemical process, and the types of catalyst systems and mechanisms. We hope this review can promote the sustainable development of the direct functionalization of indoles and their derivatives and the discovery of novel and practical organic methods in aqueous phase.     

Diversified Synthetic Strategies for Pyrroloindoles: An Overview

In current scenario, heterocyclic compounds' role in medicinal chemistry has been tremendously increased as they possess wide number of pharmacological activities. One of the common heterocycles include indole skeleton with well‐established biological significance in field of medicinal chemistry. Fusion of indole nucleus with pyrrole heterocycle constitutes pyrroloindole scaffold, which further modifies the existing properties of indole alone. Pyrroloindole is a privileged scaffold found in various types of bioactive entities including natural compounds and exhibits wide variety of pharmacological activities like muscle relaxant, antifungal, antitumor, and antibiotic. Therefore, it is considered as attractive template for drug discovery. From several years, numbers of synthetic strategies have been reported for the synthesis of pyrroloindole and its derivatives, including also natural compounds such as amauromine, yuremamine, and chimonanthines. Here, in this review, we have tried to compile various synthetic strategies of pyrroloindole and its derivatives.     

Indole‐N‐Carboxylic Acids and Indole‐N‐Carboxamides in Organic Synthesis

Indoles are ubiquitous structures that are found in natural products and biologically active molecules. The synthesis of indoles and indole‐involved synthetic methodologies in organic chemistry have been receiving considerable attention. Indole‐N‐carboxylic acids and derived indole‐N‐carboxamides are intriguing compounds, which have been widely used in organic synthesis, especially in multicomponent reactions and C?H functionalization of indoles. This Minireview summarizes the advances of reactions involving indole‐N‐carboxylic acids and indole‐N‐carboxamides in organic chemistry, and discusses the synthetic potential and perspective of this field.     

Extending Pummerer reaction chemistry. development of a strategy for the regio- and stereoselective oxidative cyclization of 3-(omega-nucleophile)-tethered indoles

The brominative cyclization of diastereomeric beta-silyloxy tryptophan derivatives proceeded with divergent regiochemistry (C(2) or C(3) addition), depending on the relative stereochemistry of the silyloxy substituent. This lack of C(2) vs C(3) regiochemical predictability led to the development of a new approach, which featured Pummerer-type chemistry on an indole C(2) sulfoxide or sulfide substrate, for steering nucleophilic addition to C(3) of the indole. Extension of this transformation from carboxylate nucleophiles to carbon analogues such as allylsilane, silyl enol ether, and silyl ketene iminal bearing substrates led to the formation of spirocyclic oxindole derivatives in good yields with complete regioselectivity for C(3) cyclization and with good diastereoselectivity where relevant.     

单萜吲哚生物碱Uleine及其衍生物的合成进展

生物碱uleine及其衍生物从结构上看属于单萜吲哚生物碱,它们共同的结构特征是吲哚核与碱性氮原子之间只有一个碳相隔,而不像其它单萜吲哚生物碱有两个碳原子.由于其结构特异,天然含量少,因而其合成工作一直吸引着化学工作者.总结uleine生物碱及其衍生物的合成方法,根据构建环的种类不同,把合成方法分为五类.大部分方法都是以吲哚和吡啶衍生物为起始原料进行四环的合成,有几条合成路线简短易行.     

Hexafluoroisopropanol: a powerful solvent for the hydrogenation of indole derivatives. Selective access to tetrahydroindoles or cis-fused octahydroindoles

Pd/C in HFIP was used to hydrogenate indole derivatives under relatively mild conditions, leading to potential synthetic intermediates of bioactive compounds. Depending on their substitution, tetrahydroindoles or octahydroindoles could selectively be obtained.     

Application of Fischer Indolization under Green Conditions using Deep Eutectic Solvents

Indole and its derivatives captured the attention of organic chemists due to their applications in medicinal chemistry. The examples covered here are intricate polycyclic indole derivatives and these include: azapolyquinanes, cyclophanes, spirocycles and other heterocycles. We found that deep eutectic mixture such as L‐(+)‐tartaric acid (TA) and dimethyl urea (DMU) is useful to prepare complex unnatural indole derivatives. These conditions from time to time produced indole derivatives which are not possible by conventional methods. Various substrates containing multiple carbonyl groups were shown to undergo Fischer indolization (FI) in deep eutectic mixtures and thus expand its scope to a higher level.     

Synthesis of 3,4‐Fused Tricyclic Indoles Using 3‐Alkylidene Indolines as Versatile Precursors

In this personal account, our recent studies of novel synthetic methods of 3,4‐fused tricyclic indole derivatives using 3‐alkylidene indoline derivatives as versatile precursors are discussed. Two types of cascade reactions producing 3,4‐fused tricyclic 3‐alkylidene indolines were developed based on a palladium‐catalyzed intramolecular Heck insertion to an allene‐allylic amination cascade and a platinum‐catalyzed intramolecular Friedel‐Crafts type C?H coupling‐allylic amination cascade. Furthermore, three types of 3,4‐fused tricyclic indoles were accessible from a single 3‐alkylidene indoline precursor via acid‐promoted olefin isomerization or oxidative treatments. The application of the developed methods to the synthesis of natural products bearing a 3,4‐fused tricyclic indole skeleton, (?)‐aurantioclavine, fargesine, and synthetic studies of dragmacidin E are also highlighted.     

Iridium‐Catalyzed Direct C4‐ and C7‐Selective Alkynylation of Indoles Using Sulfur‐Directing Groups

Indoles and their analogues have been one of the most ubiquitous heterocycles during the past century, and extensive studies have been conducted to establish practical synthetic methods for their derivatives. In particular, selective functionalization of the poorly reactive benzenoid core over the pyrrole ring has been a great challenge. Reported herein is an iridium‐catalyzed direct alkynylation of the indole C4‐ and C7‐positions with the assistance of sulfur directing groups. This transformation shows a wide range of functional‐group tolerance with exceptional site selectivity. The directing group can be either easily removed or transformed after catalysis. The synthetic utility of the alkyne fragment is demonstrated by the derivatization into the core structure of natural indole alkaloids.     

Development of a novel synthetic method for ring construction using organometallic complexes and its application to the total syntheses of natural products

Organometallic complexes are useful tools in synthetic organic chemistry. We investigated a novel synthetic method for ring construction using organometallic complexes and synthesized natural products and biologically active substances using these methods. Metalacycles formed from an early transition metal and diene, enyne, and diyne are stable under the reaction conditions and they are easily converted into compounds with functional groups by the addition of various agents. We have developed a novel synthetic method of heterocycles from enyne and diene using Cp2ZrBu2. The total syntheses of (-)-dendrobine, (+/-)-mecembrane, and (+/-)-mecembrine were achieved using this procedure. To synthesize these natural products as a chiral form, a novel palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic amination was developed, and chiral 2-arylcyclohexenylamine derivatives were synthesized. From these compounds, the total syntheses of (-)-mesembrane, (-)-mesembrine, (+)-crinamine, (-)-haemanthidine, and (+)-pretazetine were achieved. By further development of this procedure, a chiral 2-siloxymethylcyclohexenylamine derivative could be synthesized and the novel synthesis of indole derivatives was developed from this compound. From this indole derivative, (-)-tsubifoline and (-)-strychnine were synthesized.     

Indole-Based Tubulin Inhibitors: Binding Modes and SARs Investigations

Tubulin inhibitors can interfere with normal cell mitosis and inhibit cell proliferation through interfering with the normal structure and function of microtubules, forming spindle filaments. Indole, as a privileged pharmacological skeleton, has been widely used in anti-cancer inhibitors. A variety of alkaloids containing an indole core obtained from natural sources have been proven to inhibit tubulin polymerization, and an ever-increasing number of synthetic indole-based tubulin inhibitors have been reported. Among these, several kinds of indole-based derivatives, such as TMP analogues, aroylindoles, arylthioindoles, fused indole, carbazoles, azacarbolines, alkaloid nortopsentin analogues and bis-indole derivatives, have shown good inhibition activities towards tubulin polymerization. The binding modes and SARs investigations of synthetic indole derivatives, along with a brief mechanism on their anti-tubulin activity, are presented in this review.     

Electronic structures and spectra of porphyrin with fused benzoheterocycles: DFT and TDDFT‐PCM investigations

Density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent DFT (TDDFT) are applied to study seven asymmetric π‐conjugated porphyrins with extended benzoheterocycles: quinoline, indole, benzoimidazole, benzothiazole, benzooxazole, 2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole, and 2,1,3‐benzoxadiazole. The solvation effects on the excitation energies for these porphyrin derivatives in chloroform are taken into account by using the continuum model (C‐PCM) combined with TDDFT, and this method makes a closer agreement with the experimental values, especially for the B‐bands of these objects. Great efforts have been made on investigating the influences of the fused aromatic units of the porphyrins on the absorption properties as these can be particularly important for many applications. Benzoheterocycle introduction and solvent effects have been systemically investigated, and close agreement is obtained between calculated and measured UV–vis spectra. These theoretical data could shed light on future synthetic chemistry. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

Platinum‐Catalyzed Friedel–Crafts‐Type C−H Coupling–Allylic Amination Cascade to Synthesize 3,4‐Fused Tricyclic Indoles

A novel platinum‐catalyzed cascade cyclization reaction was developed by intramolecular Friedel–Crafts‐type C?H coupling of aniline derivatives with a propargyl carbonate unit‐allylic amination sequence. Treatment of various propargyl carbonates tethered to meta‐aniline derivatives with a Pt(dba)₃/DPEphos catalyst system afforded the corresponding 3,4‐fused tricyclic 3‐alkylidene indolines in 42–99 % yield, which were transformed into 3,4‐fused indole derivatives by reaction with trifluoroacetic acid. The reaction products exhibited antiproliferative activities against cancer cells, but not normal cells, revealing the potential usefulness of this reaction for medicinal chemistry.     

Controlling Regioselectivity in the Enantioselective N‐Alkylation of Indole Analogues Catalyzed by Dinuclear Zinc‐ProPhenol

The enantioselective N‐alkylation of indole and its derivatives with aldimines is efficiently catalyzed by a zinc‐ProPhenol dinuclear complex under mild conditions to afford N‐alkylated indole derivatives in good yield (up to 86 %) and excellent enantiomeric ratio (up to 99.5:0.5 e.r.). This method tolerates a wide array of indoles, as well as pyrrole and carbazole, to afford the corresponding N‐alkylation products. The reaction can be run on a gram scale with reduced catalyst loading without impacting the efficiency. The chiral aminals were further elaborated into various chiral polyheterocyclic derivatives. The surprising stability of the chiral N‐alkylation products will open new windows for asymmetric catalysis and medicinal chemistry.     

Synthetic entries to 6-fluoro-7-substituted indole derivatives

Three practical synthetic entries of functionalized 6-fluoro-7-substituted indole derivatives were developed in connection with the preparation of 7-fluoro-8-substituted-1,3,4,9-tetrahydropyrano[3,4-b]indole-1-acetic acid derivatives 11 . The first route, which permits group modification about position 8 of the pyranoindole skeleton, employs 2-bromo-3-fluoroaniline ( 18 ) as a key intermediate, the preparation of which was achieved by either a novel ortho metalation of 15 or via the intermediacy of 22 . The second route utilizes 32 to append a terminally functionalized three carbon side chain onto the indole template and in addition leads to 43 from 40 . The third route to the 7-fluoro-8-substituted-pyranoindole skeleton complements route two in that the synthetic pathway exploits 32 in a nucleophilic fashion to construct a terminally functionalized two carbon appendage onto the indole nucleus.     

Efficient, one-pot transformation of indoles into functionalized oxindole and spirooxindole systems under Swern conditions

The reaction of indole derivatives bearing a 3- or 4-hydroxyalkyl chain with dimethylsulfoxide and oxalyl chloride under Swern conditions led to a one-pot, three-component process involving three different synthetic transformations, namely oxidation of indole to oxindole, introduction of a chlorine substituent at the oxindole C-3 position and substitution of the hydroxyl group in the side chain by chlorine, in good to excellent overall yields. The same conditions, applied to a 2-methylindole, afforded a 2-formylindole derivative oxidized at its side chain. The reaction starting from one indole with a 2-hydroxyalkyl chain furnished 3-(2-hydroxyalkyl)oxindoles. Finally, application of the Swern conditions to derivatives of indole-3-propionic or -butyric acid afforded 3-spirooxindole lactones.     

褪黑激素的合成——介绍一个探索性有机化学实验

介绍一个面向大学二年级本科生的探索性实验。基于专利文献方法的合成路线较为适宜学生实验且具有良好训练价值:以邻苯二甲酰亚胺、1,3-二溴丙烷、乙酰乙酸乙酯、对甲氧基苯胺为基本原料,以Japp-Klingemann反应和Fischer吲哚合成法联用构建吲哚环,经水解脱羧、乙酰化,合成了褪黑激素。对学生在实验中的条件优化探索进行了简要介绍。     

Development and application of a direct vinyl lithiation of cis-stilbene and a directed vinyl lithiation of an unsymmetrical cis-stilbene

[reaction: see text] The vinyl deprotonation of cis-stilbene can be readily achieved using s-BuLi in THF at -25 degrees C. The generated 1-lithio-1,2-diphenylethene undergoes an in situ Z-to-E isomerization, and subsequent reaction with electrophiles results in an efficient stereoselective synthesis of trisubstituted alkenes. A directed vinyl lithiation of the unsymmetrical cis-stilbene 2-styryl-phenyl-carbamic acid tert-butyl ester can be achieved regioselectively, thereby expanding this methodology for further synthetic applications in indole chemistry.     

A Facile Synthesis of Indole-based Conjugated Derivatives

A novel synthetic method was developed for the preparation of indole-based conjugated derivatives with satisfied yields. By applying this strategy, a series of new compounds were prepared conveniently. All the obtained new indole derivatives were characterized by spectroscopic analyses, giving satisfactory data corresponding to their expected molecular structures.     

Reactions of Indole and Its Derivatives with Cotarnine. Rearrangement of 5-(1-Indolyl)-4-methoxy-6-methyl- 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro[1,3]dioxolo[4,5-g]isoquinolines

A synthetic route to compounds of the indolyltetrahydroisoquinoline series was developed on the basis of the reaction of cotarnine with indole derivatives. Aminoalkylation of indole and its derivatives with cotarnine occurs regioselectively at the nitrogen atom of the indole fragment to give the corresponding 5-(1-indolyl)-4-methoxy-6-methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro[1,3]dioxolo[4,5-g]isoquinolines. The products were found to undergo rearrangement into isomeric 5-(3-indolyl)-4-methoxy-6-methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro[1,3]dioxolo[4,5-g]isoquinolines which constitute a new class of indolyltetrahydroisoquinoline systems.