Cyclization Cadogan-Sundberg indole synthesis

This reaction can be traced back to the initial work of Cadogan for the preparation of car-bazole by the reductive cyclization of aromatic nitro compounds with triethyl phosphite. This reaction was then extended by Sundberg to the fornnation of indoles by the treatment of o-nitrostyrene with triethyl phosphite or the formation of indolines from the o-alkyl nitrobenzenes. Thus the formation of indole from the reduction of o-nitfostyrenes is referred to as the Cadogan-Sundberg indole synthesis." ... 

The reductive cyclization of 6>-nitrostryene (i.e., the Cadogan-Sundberg indole synthesis) has been improved by the transition metal catalyzation, selenium-based reductive cyclization, or hydrogen/Raney nickel reduced cyclizationJ... 

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