Carbazole cyclization

There are reports of an increasing number of palladium-assisted reactions, in some of which the palladium has a catalytic function. Thus furan and thiophene undergo facile palladium-assisted alkenylation giving 2-substituted products. Benzo[6 Jfuran and TV- acetyl-indole yield cyclization products, dibenzofurans and carbazoles respectively, in addition to alkenylated products (8UOC851). The arylation of pyrroles can be effected by treatment with palladium acetate and an arene (Scheme 86) (81CC254). 

No oxidizing agent is required for the sulfuric acid promoted cyclization of iV,iV-diphenyl-hydroxylamine to carbazole (13CB3304). The parallel conversion of diphenyl sulfoxide and diphenyl selenoxide to dibenzothiophene (23CB2275) and dibenzoselenophene (39CR(199)53l) is effected by treatment with sodamide. 

Another short protocol for preparation of 3 was recently presented by Knolker and Reddy, who devised a short sequence involving a double iron-mediated arylamine cyclization as the key step (Scheme 19). Thus, the reaction of m-phenylenediamine (140) with the tricarbonyliron-complexed cyclohexadienyl cation 141 yielded the complex 142, which was eventually transformed into indolo-[2,3-()]carbazole (3) via cyclization and dehydrogenation (98TL4007 00T4733). 

Studies on the Bischler-Napieralski cyclization of A -acetyltryptamine in the presence of indole have led to the isolation of numerous products, among which the indolocarbazole 186 could be found in 3.5% yield. This outcome was rationalized as a result of the intermediacy of a spiroindolenine species formed under these conditions [89H(28)175]. During detailed studies on the polymerization of indole, formation of a low yield of the related indolo[3,2-h]carbazole 187 was discovered in the product mixture originating from the treatment of indole with p-toluenesulfonic acid at elevated temperature [88JCS(P1)2387]. In an investigation of the condensation of p-benzoquinone with 4-substituted anilines, an indolo[3,2-h]carbazole derivative has been reported to be formed in 2% yield (80JOC1493). 

Katritzky and co-workers have developed a methodology for the preparation of heterocyclo[h]-fused carbazoles from benzotriazole derivatives (Scheme 26). Using this approach, W,iV -dimethylindolo[3,2-h]carbazole (150) was prepared via a thermally induced cyclization of the benzotriazole-containing precurscM 196 (95JOC3707). 

The Michael addition of the carbanions derived from esters to nitroalkenes followed by reductive cyclization has been used extensively for the preparation of pyrrolidin-2-ones (Eq. 10.76).124 This strategy is used for synthesis of the carbazole alkaloid staurosporine aglycon (K-252c).124c... 

The photochemically induced conversion of diarylamines into carbazoles is known to proceed via a similar cyclization pathway a dipolar dihydro-... 

Tricarbonyl(cyclohexadienyl)iron cations react with a variety of nucleophiles to give substituted tricarbonyl(cyclohexadienyl)iron complexes88 with arylamines, N- or C-alkylation can occur depending on the nature of aryl ring substituents. Deligation of C-alkylated arylamines can be achieved by either ferric chloride, which gives the free arylamine, or by iodine in the latter case, cyclization with concomitant oxidation occurs, and carbazoles are produced in moderate yield (Scheme 52).89... 

Zhao and Larock have described the synthesis of carbazoles, indoles, and dibenzofurans 118 via a Ic type cyclization that follows a sequence of Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling of alkynes and aryl iodides 116, then nitrogen-directed palladium migration to an arylpalladium intermediate 117 that undergoes an intramolecular Mizoroki-Heck ring closure <06JOC5340>. 

The a-oxoketene dithioacetal 6.40 is derived from indoxyl (l,2-dihydroindol-3-one), a heterocyclic carbonyl precursor, and its reaction with simple allyl anions will also yield the corresponding Jl-annulation product. Thus when 6.40 was reacted with allyl anions 65 the corresponding carbinol acetals 66 formed insitu underwent smooth BF3.Et20 assisted cyclization to afford the corresponding carbazoles 67 in high yields <99T11563>. 

Interestingly the heteroallyl anion 26 from antipyrine displayed unusual 1,2-mode Type 1 (la) reactivity with 6.40 instead of Type III (3a) reactivity as generally observed in the preceding examples. The carbinol acetal 76 thus formed by 1,2-addition mode was cyclized with BF3.Et20 to afford the corresponding linearly annulated carbazole 77 in 73% yield <99T11563>. 

The oxidative coupling/cyclization process occurs via stoichiometric carbo-palladation using a Pd(II) species, typically Pd(OAc)2. In an early example, submission of diphenylamines 3 to the palladium(II)-promoted oxidative intramolecular cyclization conditions yielded carbazoles 4 [15-... 

Presumably, the oxidative cyclization of 3 commences with direct palladation at the a position, forming o-arylpalladium(II) complex 5 in a fashion analogous to a typical electrophilic aromatic substitution (this statement will be useful in predicting the regiochemistry of oxidative additions). Subsequently, in a manner akin to an intramolecular Heck reaction, intermediate 5 undergoes an intramolecular insertion onto the other benzene ring, furnishing 6. (i-Hydride elimination of 6 then results in carbazole 4. 

Applications of the aforementioned methodology are also found in the total synthesis of plagiochin D to link a 16-membered biaryl system [47], as well as to the intramolecular cyclization of di-benzyl halides [45, 48]. Additional examples include dithienothiophene (40) from dithienyl bromide 39 [49] and carbazole 42 from diarylbromide 41 [50]. 

Most of the early applications of palladium to indole chemistry involved oxidative coupling or cyclization using stoichiometric Pd(II). Akermark first reported the efficient oxidative coupling of diphenyl amines to carbazoles 37 with Pd(OAc)2 in refluxing acetic acid [45]. The reaction is applicable to several ring-substituted carbazoles (Br, Cl, OMe, Me, NO2), and 20 years later Akermark and colleagues made this reaction catalytic in the conversion of arylaminoquinones 38 to carbazole-l,4-quinones 39 [46]. This oxidative cyclization is particularly useful for the synthesis of benzocarbazole-6,11-quinones (e.g., 40). 

Hill described the Pd(OAc)2-oxidative cyclization of bisindolylmaleimides (e.g., 49) to indolo[2,3-a]pyrrolo[3,4-c]carbazoles (e.g., 50) [69], which is the core ring system in numerous natural products, many of which have potent protein kinase activity [70]. Other workers employed this Pd-induced reaction to prepare additional examples of this ring system [71, 72]. Ohkubo found that PdClj/DMF was necessary to prevent acid-induced decomposition of benzene-ring substituted benzyloxy analogues of 49, and the yields of cyclized products under these conditions are 85-100% [71]. 

It has been known for sometime that 2-(2-bromoanilino)enones undergo Heck-type cyclizations to form indoles and carbazoles. Thus, Kibayashi reported the synthesis of 4-keto-l,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazoles in this manner [362], and Rapoport employed this reaction (296 to 297) to achieve an improved synthesis of 7-methoxymitosene [363]. A series of related mitosene analogs has been crafted using Pd chemistry by Michael and co-workers [364], They found that P(o-tol)3 was far superior to PPh3 in conjunction with Pd(OAc)2. 

This indole synthesis has been extended to P-tetrahydrocarbolines (300) [371], azaketotetrahydrocarbazoles [372], carbolines, carbazoles, and pyrido[l,2-a]benzimidazoles [373]. Examples of the former two reaction types are illustrated. An early Heck cyclization of 2-carboxy-2 -iododiphenylamine to 1-carbazolecarboxylie acid (73% yield) [374] has been generally overlooked by subsequent investigators. 

In conclusion, the fantastically diverse chemistry of indole has been significantly enriched by palladium-catalyzed reactions. The accessibility of all of the possible halogenated indoles and several indolyl triflates has resulted in a wealth of synthetic applications as witnessed by the length of this chapter. In addition to the standard Pd-catalyzed reactions such as Negishi, Suzuki, Heck, Stille and Sonogashira, which have had great success in indole chemistry, oxidative coupling and cyclization are powerful routes to a variety of carbazoles, carbolines, indolocarbazoles, and other fused indoles. 

Fuostifoline (47), a furo[3,2-a]carbazole, was isolated from Murraya euchrestifolia. Timdri s total synthesis of 47 commenced with alkylation of bromocresol 43 with bromoacetaldehyde diethyl acetal and P4Oio-promoted cyclization to furnish 5-bromo-7-methylbenzofuran (44) [47]. The Suzuki coupling of boronic acid 45, derived from 44, with o-bromonitrobenzene yielded biaryl 46. Nitrene generation, achieved via deoxygenation of nitro compound 46 using triethyl phosphite, was followed by cyclization to fuostifoline (47). 

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