Simple,Convenient, and Efficient Synthesis of 2-Aryl-substituted Benzo[b]furans

A simple, convenient, and efficient one-pot method for the preparation of benzofuran is reported. Sonogashira coupling reaction of aryl iodides with 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol was used as an acetylene source in the presence of Pd(PPh₃)₂Cl₂ and CuI. Deprotection of the acetylene moiety in the same pot using a strong base and the second Sonogashira coupling/cyclization of and substituted o-iodophenols led to the formation of the appropriate benzo[b]furans. These protocols also can be used in the synthesis of natural products and indoles.     

Indirect regioselective heteroarylation of indoles through a Friedel-Crafts reaction with (E)-1,4-diaryl-2-buten-1,4-diones

A two-step synthesis of 3-heteroaryl indoles has been developed. The first step of the sequence involves a Friedel-Crafts alkylation of indoles with 1,4-diaryl-2-buten-1,4-diones to give the corresponding indoles bearing a 1,4-dicarbonyl moiety. The reaction is catalyzed by InCl₃ and takes place with good yields. Cyclization of the diones under different Paal-Knorr conditions allows to prepare indoles substituted at the C3 position with 3-furanyl, 3-pyrrolyl- and 3-thienyl moieties.     

Iridium(III) Photocatalysis: A Visible‐Light‐Induced Dearomatizative Tandem [4+2] Cyclization to Furnish Benzindolizidines

A photocatalytic dearomatizative tandem [4+2] cyclization between N‐(2‐iodoethyl)indoles and a variety of alkenes leads to tri‐ and tetracyclic benzindolizidines with high diastereoselectivity and yield. The intermolecular annulation reaction is performed under visible‐light irradiation and employs [Ir(ppy)₃] or [Ir(dtbbpy)(ppy)₂] PF₆ as photocatalysts, in combination with tertiary amines as electron and hydrogen atom donors.     

Aqueous Titanium Trichloride Promoted Reductive Cyclization of o‐Nitrostyrenes to Indoles: Development and Application to the Synthesis of Rizatriptan and Aspidospermidine

Treatment of o‐nitrostyrenes with aqueous TiCl₃ solution at room temperature afforded indoles through a formal reductive C(sp²)–H amination process. A range of functions such as halides (Cl, Br), carbonyl (ester, carbamate), cyano, hydroxy, and amino groups were tolerated. From β,β‐disubstituted o‐nitrostyrenes, 2,3‐disubstituted indoles were formed by a domino reduction/cyclization/migration process. Mild conditions, simple experimental procedure, ready accessibility of the starting materials and good to excellent yields characterize the present transformation. The methodology was used as a key step in a concise synthesis of rizatriptan and a formal total synthesis of aspidospermidine.     

Organocatalytic Asymmetric Annulation of ortho‐Alkynylanilines: Synthesis of Axially Chiral Naphthyl‐C2‐indoles

A chiral Brønsted base catalyzed asymmetric annulation of ortho‐alkynylanilines has been developed to access axially chiral naphthyl‐C2‐indoles via vinylidene ortho‐quinone methide (VQM) intermediates. This strategy provides a unique organocatalytic atroposelective route to axially chiral aryl‐C2‐indole skeletons with excellent enantioselectivity and functional‐group tolerance. This transformation was applicable to decagram‐scale preparation (50.0 g) with perfect enantioselectivity through simple recrystallization. Moreover, the utility of this reaction was demonstrated by a variety of transformations towards chiral naphthyl‐C2‐indoles for a series of carbon–heteroatom bond formations. Furthermore, the prepared axially chiral naphthyl‐C2‐indoles were applied as a chiral skeleton for organocatalytic aza‐Baylis–Hillman reaction and asymmetric formal [4+2] tandem cyclization to give the corresponding adducts in high yields with improved enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity.     

Preparation of Furo[3,2‐c]coumarins from 3‐Cinnamoyl‐4‐hydroxy‐2H‐chromen‐2‐ones and Acyl Chlorides: A Bu3P‐Mediated C‐Acylation/Cyclization Sequence

A Bu₃P‐mediated cyclization reaction of 3‐cinnamoyl‐4‐hydroxy‐2H‐chromen‐2‐ones though electrophilic addition of acyl chlorides towards the synthesis of highly functionalized furo[3,2‐c]coumarins bearing a phosphorus ylide moiety is described. These unprecedented cyclization reaction proceeds under mild reaction conditions within short reaction times (1 min to 1 h), and can be further applied in the synthesis of alkenyl‐substituted furo[3,2‐c]coumarins by the treatment with carbonyl electrophiles under basic conditions.     

Reactions of N- and C-Alkenylanilines: II. Halocyclization of 2-(2-Cycloalkenyl)anilines

The reaction of 2-(2-cyclopentenyl)anilines with I₂ in the presence of NaHCO₃ results in formation of 3-iodocyclopenta[b]indoles in high yields. Under similar conditions 2-(2-cyclohexenyl)anilines give rise to cyclization products whose structure depends on the solvent and substituents in the aromatic ring and on the nitrogen atom.     

Platinum‐Catalyzed Multi‐Step Reaction of Propargyl Alcohols with N‐Heteroaromatics

N‐Methyl indole reacts with but‐2‐yn‐1‐ol in the presence of PtCl₂ in MeOH giving indole derivatives having a substituted 3‐oxobutyl group at the 3‐position in good yield. Under the reaction conditions, various substituted indoles and substituted propargyl alcohols are successfully involved in the reaction giving the corresponding addition products in good to moderate yields. The catalytic reaction can be further extended to N‐phenyl pyrrole. In the present multi‐step reaction, PtCl₂ likely plays dual roles: as the catalyst for the rearrangement of propargyl alcohols to the corresponding alkenyl ketones and as the catalyst for the addition of indoles to the alkenyl ketones. Experimental evidence is provided to support the proposed mechanism.     

Synthesis of 3-substituted cyclopenta[b]indoles

When reacting with I₂, 2-(cyclopent-2-enyl)anilines undergo cyclization into 3-iodo-1,2,3,3a,4,8b-hexahydrocyclopenta[b]indoles in high yields. The minor reaction products were 3,5- or 3,7-diiodoindolines. Ammonolysis of 3-iodo-5-methyl-1,2,3,3a,4,8b-hexahydro-cyclopenta[b]indole or itsN-chloroacetyl derivative results in 3-amino-5-methyl-1,2,3,3a,48b-hexahydro- and 5-methyl-1,3a,4,8b-tetrahydrocyclopenta[b]indoles. Published inIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimischeskaya, No. 10, pp. 1789–1793, October, 2000.     

Stereoselective Thermal Conversion of s-trans-Diallene into Dimethylenecyclobutene via s-cis-Diallene in the Crystalline State

A conrotatory [2+2] cyclization is the second step in the solid-state thermal reaction of s-trans-tetraaryldibromohexatetraenes 1 to cyclobutenes 4 . Prior to the cyclization 1 rearranges into the cis conformer 3 . Surprisingly the thermal rearrangement and the stereoselective cyclization occur readily in spite of the required motion of the sterically bulky substituents. R=Ph, p-MeC₆H₄.     

A concise route to iboga-analogues via the formation of suitably substituted-2-indoles

A concise route to iboga-analogues has been developed. Important steps include a Pd-catalyzed Sonogashira coupling of Boc-2-idodaniline with terminal alkynes and the formation of 2-substituted indoles in the presence of tetrabutylammonium fluoride to give the key intermediate, dehydroisoquinuclidine-containing indole. The final step cyclization between indole-3-position and dehydroisoquinuclidine ring was achieved using Pd(II)-Ag(I) mixed metal-mediated cyclization method. Both exo- and endo-substitution with -CO₂Me at C19 have been reported.     

Chloromethyl-, dichloromethyl-, and trichloromethyl-1,2,4-triazines and their 4-oxides: method for the synthesis and tele-substitution reactions with C-nucleophiles

A simple procedure was developed for the synthesis of 1,2,4-triazines and their 4-oxides containing the ClCH₂, Cl₂CH, or CCl₃ group at position 3 by cyclization of 2-aryl-2-hydrazono-1-oximinoethanes with the corresponding chloroacetonitriles. The reaction pathway depends on the number of halogen atoms in the acetonitrile used. The reactions with trichloroacetonitrile, monochloroacetonitrile, and dichloroacetonitrile afford 3-trichloromethyl-1,2,4-triazines, 3-chloromethyl-1,2,4-triazine 4-oxides, and a mixture of the corresponding dichloromethyltriazines and their 4-oxides, respectively. The reactions of 3-trichloromethyl-1,2,4-triazines with indoles and phenols are accompanied by tele-substitution with elimination of halogen from the trichloromethyl group to give 5-indolyl- (or 5-hydroxyphenyl)-3-dichloromethyl-1,2,4-triazines.     

[CpIrCl2]2-catalysed cyclization of 2-alkynylanilines into indoles

[Cp^∗IrCl₂]₂ catalyses the cyclization of 2-alkynylanilines into indoles. A wide variety of substrates is tolerated. A reaction pathway involving intramolecular hydroamination is proposed.     

[8+2] and [8+3] Cyclization Reactions of Alkenyl Carbenes and 8‐Azaheptafulvenes: Direct Access to Tetrahydro‐1‐azaazulene and Cyclohepta[b]pyridinone Derivatives

The reactivity of Fischer alkenyl carbenes toward 8‐azaheptafulvenes is examined. Alkenyl carbenes react with 8‐azaheptafulvenes with complete regio‐ and stereoselectivity through formal [8+3] and [8+2] heterocyclization reactions, which show an unprecedented dependence on the C_β substituent at the alkenyl carbene complex. Thus, the formal [8+3] heterocyclization reaction is completely favored in carbene complexes that bear a coordinating moiety to give tetrahydrocyclohepta[b]pyridin‐2‐ones. Otherwise, alkenyl carbenes that lack appropriate coordinating groups undergo a formal [8+2] cyclization with 8‐azaheptafulvenes to give compounds that bear a tetrahydroazaazulene structure. A likely mechanism for these reactions would follow well‐established models and would involve a 1,4‐addition/cyclization in the case of the [8+2] cyclization or a 1,2‐addition/[1,2] shift–metal‐promoted cyclization for the [8+3] reaction. The presence of a coordinating moiety in the carbene would favor the [1,2] metal shift through transition‐state stabilization to lead to the [8+3] product. All these processes provide an entry into the tetrahydroazaazulene and cycloheptapyridone frameworks present in the structure of biologically active molecules.     

Metal-Free–Catalyzed Oxidative Trimerization of Indoles Using NaNO2 to Construct Quaternary Carbon Centers: Synthesis of 2-(1H-Indol-3-yl)-2,3′-biindolin-3-ones

A simple, convenient, and efficient synthesis of 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2,3′-biindolin-3-one derivatives via a transition-metal-free-catalyzed oxidative trimeric reaction of indoles has been developed. This transformation may have occurred through a tandem oxidative homocoupling reaction by using NaNO₂ in pyridine as oxidant. This methodology provides an alternative approach for the direct generation of all-carbon quaternary centers at the C2 position of indoles.     

PtCl2-catalyzed reactions of o-alkynylanilines with ethyl propiolate and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate

The PtCl₂-catalyzed reactions between indoles and ethyl propiolate gave rise to mono and double addition products. The composition of the products was largely influenced by the substituents on the indoles as well as the amount of ethyl propiolate used. o-Alkynylanilines reacted with ethyl propiolate and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate under the catalysis of PtCl₂ to generate the corresponding 2,3-disubstituted indoles. The reaction proceeded by following a sequential cyclization/intermolecular addition pathway.     

First heterogeneously palladium-catalysed fully selective C3-arylation of free NH-indoles

A simple heterogeneously palladium-catalysed procedure for the selective C3-arylation of indoles is reported. Under relatively standard reaction conditions (Pd-catalyst, K₂CO₃, dioxane, reflux), using only 1 mol % [Pd(NH₃)₄]/NaY as the catalyst, indoles substituted or not at position 2 gave up to 92% conversion (i.e., 85% isolated yield) towards the expected C3-arylated indole.     

Ruthenium‐Catalyzed Alkylation of Indoles with Tertiary Amines by Oxidation of a sp3 C?H Bond and Lewis Acid Catalysis

Ruthenium porphyrins (particularly [Ru(2,6‐Cl₂tpp)CO]; tpp=tetraphenylporphinato) and RuCl₃ can act as oxidation and/or Lewis acid catalysts for direct C‐3 alkylation of indoles, giving the desired products in high yields (up to 82 % based on 60–95 % substrate conversions). These ruthenium compounds catalyze oxidative coupling reactions of a wide variety of anilines and indoles bearing electron‐withdrawing or electron‐donating substituents with high regioselectivity when using tBuOOH as an oxidant, resulting in the alkylation of N‐arylindoles to 3‐{[(N‐aryl‐N‐alkyl)amino]methyl}indoles (yield: up to 82 %, conversion: up to 95 %) and the alkylation of N‐alkyl or N‐H indoles to 3‐[p‐(dialkylamino)benzyl]indoles (yield: up to 73 %, conversion: up to 92 %). A tentative reaction mechanism involving two pathways is proposed: an iminium ion intermediate may be generated by oxidation of an sp³ C? H bond of the alkylated aniline by an oxoruthenium species; this iminium ion could then either be trapped by an N‐arylindole (pathway A) or converted to formaldehyde, allowing a subsequent three‐component coupling reaction of the in situ generated formaldehyde with an N‐alkylindole and an aniline in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst (pathway B). The results of deuterium‐labeling experiments are consistent with the alkylation of N‐alkylindoles via pathway B. The relative reaction rates of [Ru(2,6‐Cl₂tpp)CO]‐catalyzed oxidative coupling reactions of 4‐X‐substituted N,N‐dimethylanilines with N‐phenylindole (using tBuOOH as oxidant), determined through competition experiments, correlate linearly with the substituent constants σ (R²=0.989), giving a ρ value of ?1.09. This ρ value and the magnitudes of the intra‐ and intermolecular deuterium isotope effects (k_H/k_D) suggest that electron transfer most likely occurs during the initial stage of the oxidation of 4‐X‐substituted N,N‐dimethylanilines. Ruthenium‐catalyzed three‐component reaction of N‐alkyl/N‐H indoles, paraformaldehyde, and anilines gave 3‐[p‐(dialkylamino)benzyl]indoles in up to 82 % yield (conversion: up to 95 %).     

Synthesis of tetracyclic system of 2,4‐di(tert‐butyl)‐6,7‐dihydrofuro[2′,3′:3,4]cyclohepta[1,2‐b]indole

For the first time, tetracyclic compounds, namely, furo[2′,3′:3,4]cyclohepta[1,2‐b]indoles were synthesized by recyclization of ortho‐substituted aryldifurylmethanes containing tert‐butyl groups at C5 positions of the furan rings. It was shown that [2‐(benzoylamino)phenyl]bis(5‐tert‐butyl‐2‐furyl)methanes 12 are transformed into tetracycles 15 at room temperature under treatment with POCl₃ in benzene solution containing some drops of water. The reaction proceeds via the intermediate formation of 1‐benzoylamino‐3‐(5‐tert‐butyl‐2‐furyl)‐2‐(4,4‐dimethyl‐3‐oxopentyl)indoles 14 which can be isolated from the reaction mixture. The method is very simple but its application is restricted due to side reactions if electron‐releasing groups are present in 12 . On the other hand, the decrease of electron density on furan ring in the starting compounds (for example, the use of [2‐X‐phenyl]difurylmethanes (where X = tosylamino or hydroxy group) prevents cyclization under the studied reaction conditions. As a result, corresponding ketones are formed as products of recyclization. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2011).     

Highly efficient one-pot synthesis of 1-substituted-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indoles

A practical and general one-pot synthesis of 1-substituted-10-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indoles is described. The approach uses 2-(3-methyl-1H-indol-1-yl) ethylamine, benzotriazole and aldehydes in the presence of catalytic amount of acid catalysts (AlCl₃, ZnCl₂, ZnBr₂, p-TsOH, CH₃SO₃H) and proceeds in high yields via iminium cation intramolecular cyclization. The mechanism of the observed intramolecular cyclization reaction has been investigated theoretically by means of PM3 semiempirical method and results were consistent with the experimental results.