One-step conversion to tertiary amines: InBr3/Et3SiH-mediated reductive deoxygenation of tertiary amides

We have developed a simple and practical procedure for a direct reductive conversion from a variety of tertiary amides to the corresponding tertiary amines using an InBr₃/Et₃SiH reducing system. This reducing system can be applied to the reduction of a secondary amide and provides a more efficient alternative to conventional methods that use aluminum and boron hydrides.     

InBr3-catalyzed annulations of cyclic 1,3-diketones with aryl propargyl alcohols: a novel synthesis of 2,4-diaryldihydropyrans

The cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds undergo smooth cyclization with aryl propargyl alcohols in the presence of 10 mol % indium tribromide in refluxing dichloroethane to produce 2,4-diarylpyran derivatives in good yields with high selectivity.     

An efficient synthesis of silyl ethers of primary alcohols, secondary alcohols, phenols and oximes with a hydrosilane using InBr3 as a catalyst

An efficient method for the preparation of silyl ethers by InBr₃ catalyzed silylation of primary alcohols, secondary alcohols, phenols and oxime with a hydrosilane is described.     

InBr3-catalyzed three-component, one-pot synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines

Indium(III) bromide has been used for the first time for the synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines in a one-pot operation from 2-aminopyridine, aldehydes, and alkynes. InBr₃ was found to be more effective for the activation of both alkyne and imine derived from aryl aldehyde and 2-aminopyridine.     

InBr3-catalyzed sulfonation of indoles: a facile synthesis of 3-sulfonyl indoles

Indoles react smoothly with sulfonyl chlorides in the presence of a catalytic amount of indium tribromide at ambient temperature to afford the corresponding 3-arylsulfonyl indole derivatives in high yields with high regioselectivity.     

InBr3-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of 2-alkynylanilines leading to polysubstituted indole and its application to one-pot synthesis of an amino acid precursor

We describe InBr₃-catalyzed cyclization of 2-alkynylaniline derivatives having a variety of functional groups producing polysubstituted indoles. This methodology could be applied to the one-pot synthesis of an amino acid precursor by the addition of a catalytic amount of the indium salt, an imine, and TMSCl.     

Highly efficient indium-catalyzed chemoselective allylation-etherification and reductive etherification of aromatic aldehydes with functional silanes

Indium(III) chloride is an effective Lewis acid catalyst for one-pot allylation-etherification and reductive etherification of aromatic aldehydes with functional silanes, allyltriethoxysilane, and triethoxysilane, at room temperature to afford corresponding ethers in excellent yields. Additionally, the InCl₃-catalyzed reactions in the presence of TMSCl offer significant advantages in its ease of working-up for the preparation of unsymmetrical ethers under mild conditions.     

InBr3 as a versatile and highly efficient catalyst for the synthesis of 3-allyl- and 3-benzylindoles

Indoles undergo smooth alkylation with allylic and benzylic alcohols in the presence of 10 mol % of InBr₃ under mild conditions to produce 3-allyl- and 3-benzyl indoles, respectively, in excellent yields and with high selectivity. This is the first example of the alkylation of indoles with benzylic alcohols using InBr₃ as an acid catalyst.     

InBr3-catalyzed stereoselective synthesis of trans-2,6-disubstituted 3,6-dihydro-2H-pyrans

A new method for the stereoselective synthesis of trans-2,6-disubstituted 3,6-dihydro-2H-pyrans with a variety of substitution patterns is described, involving Lewis acid induced tandem allylation or cyanation of δ-hydroxy-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes to produce dihydropyrans in good yields and with trans-selectivity. This method is very useful for the synthesis of trans-2,6-disubstituted dihydropyran ring-containing natural products such as laulimalide, scytophycin C and many others.     

InBr3-catalyzed direct alkynylation of nitrones with terminal alkynes: an efficient synthesis of N-hydroxy-propargyl amines

An InBr₃-catalyzed direct and efficient alkynylation of nitrones with terminal alkynes was developed. The process enables practical synthesis of a wide range of synthetically useful N-hydroxy-propargyl amine derivatives in good yields under mild conditions. The application of this method to optically active propargylic N-hydroxyamines syntheses was also described. With chiral nitrones, good diastereoselectivities were obtained. Moreover, the first chiral indium(III) complex-catalyzed asymmetric alkynylation of nitrone was achieved with moderate enantioselectivity.     

Commutative reduction of aromatic ketones to arylmethylenes/alcohols by hypophosphites catalyzed by Pd/C under biphasic conditions

An efficient method is reported to reduce aromatic ketones selectively into arylmethylenes or alcohols with hypophosphites and Pd/C, depending on the selected conditions. This study could represent a promising alternative to the classical uses of standard hydrides or molecular hydrogen involved in reduction and deoxygenation procedures.     

PPh3-catalyzed synthesis of multifunctional vinylesters from terminal alkynoates and aromatic aldehydes

A new four-component reaction involving two starting materials is described. The reaction of terminal alkynoates with aromatic aldehydes catalyzed by PPh₃ (50 mol %) in CH₂Cl₂ at reflux afforded multifunctional vinylesters in moderate yields. A plausible mechanism is proposed.     

Facile and convenient synthesis of functionalized propargylic alcohols and amines: an InBr3-Et3N reagent system promotes the alkynylation of aldehydes and N,O- or N,S-acetals

The use of a novel InBr₃-Et₃N reagent system to promote the alkynylation of not only a variety of aromatic/heterocyclic or bulky aliphatic aldehydes but also N,O- or N,S-acetals is described. The use of N-silyl-N,O-acetals and 1-alkynes could lead to the direct production of primary propargylic amines in good yields.     

InCl3-catalyzed three-component reaction: a novel synthesis of dihydropyrano[3,2-b]chromenediones under solvent-free conditions

Three-component coupling (3CC) of kojic acid, aldehyde and 1,3-dione has been achieved in the presence of 10 mol % InCl₃ under solvent-free conditions to afford the corresponding dihydropyrano[3,2-b]chromenedione derivatives in good yields. This is the first example of the condensation of kojic acid, aldehyde and 1,3-diones to provide a novel series of kojic acid derivatives.     

Asymmetric reduction of ketones using recombinant E. coli cells that produce a versatile carbonyl reductase with high enantioselectivity and broad substrate specificity

The gene encoding a versatile biocatalyst that shows high enantioselectivity for a variety of ketones, SCR (Saccharomyces cerevisiae carbonyl reductase), has been identified, cloned, and expressed in Escherichia coli. Two types of expression systems with high NADPH-regenerating capacities have been constructed. One is the tandem system, where the genes encoding SCR and GDH (glucose dehydrogenase) are located in the same plasmid, and the other is the two-plasmid system, where each of the SCR and GDH genes is located in separate plasmids that can coexist in one E. coli cell. Asymmetric reduction of ketones with the recombinant E. coli cells gave synthetically useful 20 alcohols, 11 of which were enantiomerically pure. The productivity of one of these products was as high as 41 g/L.     

Bi(OTf)3-catalyzed allylation of epoxides: a facile synthesis of homoallylic alcohols

Epoxides react smoothly with tetraallyltin in the presence of 2 mol% of Bi(OTf)₃ under mild reaction conditions to afford the corresponding homoallylic alcohols in excellent yields with high regioselectivity while aryl aziridines produce exclusively allyl amines in good yields under similar conditions.     

Pd/C-catalyzed selective reduction of aromatic azides with Hantzsch 1,4-dihydropyridine

The reagent combination of Hantzsch 1,4-dihydropyridine and Pd/C was found to be an efficient reducing system for the selective reduction of aromatic azides.     

Use of CaH2 as a reductive hydride source: reduction of ketones and imines with CaH2/ZnX2 in the presence of a Lewis acid

A new combination reagent of CaH₂/ZnX₂ effectively reduced a variety of ketones and imines to the corresponding alcohols and amines, respectively, in the presence of a catalytic amount of a Lewis acid such as Ti(O-i-Pr)₄, Al(O-i-Pr)₃, B(O-i-Pr)₃ and ZnF₂.     

An InBr3 catalyzed one-pot three-component synthesis of functionalized spirodihydrofuran oxindoles via intramolecular alkyne carbonyl metathesis

A new and convenient one-pot methodology for the reaction of N-methyl isatin, alkynes and phenacyl bromides to selectively afford spiro dihydrofuran oxindole derivatives catalyzed by indium bromide under ambient temperature conditions has been documented. The method has been applied for the synthesis of a range of compounds with variable functionalities in good to excellent yields (76–92%). The significant advantages of this protocol are highlighted by excellent yields, cleaner reaction profiles and avoidance of expensive catalysts.     

FeCl3-catalyzed propargylation of aromatic compounds with propargylic acetates

A new method for the synthesis of propargylated aromatic compounds is developed. The reaction was carried out at room temperature in the presence of a catalytic amount of FeCl₃ in acetonitrile, high product yields were obtained with excellent regioselectivity and the reaction proceeded smoothly without exclusion of moisture or air.