<Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-Butyl (2<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>)-(<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-tolylsulfonyloxy)propionate — a suitable reagent for the direct alkylation of indole derivatives

A new method is proposed for the synthesis of indole derivatives containing a chiral substituent at the nitrogen atom, which includes the direct alkylation of indole derivatives with tert-butyl (2S)-(p-tolylsulfonyloxy)propionate, obtained from commercial ethyl (S)-lactate with subsequent conversion to the corresponding p-toluenesulfonyloxy derivative by hydrolysis, and esterification. Dedicated to Academician B. A. Trofimov on his 70^th birthday. Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 9, 1391–1398, September, 2008.