Dihydroindole formation

Indoles are usually constructed from aromatic nitrogen compounds by formation of the pyrrole ring as has been the case for all of the synthetic methods discussed in the preceding chapters. Recently, methods for construction of the carbocyclic ring from pyrrole derivatives have received more attention. Scheme 8.1 illustrates some of the potential disconnections. In paths a and b, the syntheses involve construction of a mono-substituted pyrrole with a substituent at C2 or C3 which is capable of cyclization, usually by electrophilic substitution. Paths c and d involve Diels-Alder reactions of 2- or 3-vinyl-pyrroles. While such reactions lead to tetrahydro or dihydroindoles (the latter from acetylenic dienophiles) the adducts can be readily aromatized. Path e represents a category Iley cyclization based on 2 -I- 4 cycloadditions of pyrrole-2,3-quinodimcthane intermediates. 

The reactions of pyrroles with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) have been extensively investigated. In the presence of a proton donor the Michael adducts (125) and (126) are formed. However, under aprotic conditions the reversible formation of the 1 1 Diels-Alder adduct (127) is an important reaction. In the case of the adduct from 1-methylpyrrole, reaction with a further molecule of DMAD can occur to give a dihydroindole (Scheme 48) (82H(19)1915). 

Phenyl o-radicals generated by reduction of aryl halides can also interact with an intramolecular alkene bond. Ihe method has been developed for the formation of dihydroindoles by reductive cyclization of N-allyl-2-chloroacetanilides. The results indicate the importance of a time interval between electron addition to give a radical-anion and the fragmentation of this species to give the active a-radical, The time interval allows the radical-anion to diffuse away from the electrode surface so that when the a-radical is foimed, it has time to cyclize before it can be reduced at the surface. 

The copper catalyzed formation of carbon-nitrogen bonds was exploited in the conversion of 2-(3 -aminopropyl)-bromobenzene to tetrahydro-isoquinoline (4.17.), The coupling, which proceeded readily already at 40 °C in the presence of diethyl salicylamide, was also efficient in the formation of dihydroindole derivatives.20... 

Indolines are produced in good yield from 1-benzenesulfonylindoles by reduction with sodium cyanoborohydride in TFA at 0°C (Equation 5) (89TL6833). If acyl groups are present at C-2 or C-3 in the substrate, they are reduced to alkyl groups. Indole is also reduced to 2,3-dihydroindole by sodium cyanoborohydride and acetic acid or triethylamineborane and hydrochloric acid. An alternative method for preparing indolines involves treatment of indoles with formic acid (or a mixture of formic acid and ammonium formate) and a palladium catalyst (82S785). Reduction of the heterocyclic ring under acidic conditions probably involves initial 3-protonation followed by reaction with hydride ion. 

Pyrrole and 1-alkylpyrroles generally react with ir-deficient alkenes and alkynes to give Michael addition products (see Section 3.05.1.2.6), but Diels and Alder (3lLA(490)267) reported that 1-methylpyrrole also gave a 1 2 adduct with DM AD formulated as (229), which could be derived from a [w4+w2] cycloaddition of a second molecule of DM AD with the initially formed Michael adduct (cf. Section 3.05.2.3). Subsequent work, however, has shown structure (229) for the 1 2 adduct to be incorrect, the true structure being (230) (63AHC(i)i25, 78AHC(23)265). The formation of the dihydroindole (230) requires the initial... 

Intramolecular replacement of fluorine by nitrogen has been used for the formation of fused heterocycles, i.e. derivatives of indole,187 - 189 2,3-dihydroindole.190 benzopyrazole.191 benzo-pyridazine,192 benzoxazine,193194 bcnzothiadiazole,193 quinoline,196-198 and benzothiazinc (e.g., 9).194 1"-200... 

Carbanions derived from side chain tertiary amides have also been cyclized to provide isoquinolones and isoindoles (equation 36).125 126 While benzyne intermediacy in the formation of the former is likely, the latter seems to arise through a SrnI reaction pathway. Synthesis of indole from the meta bromo compound (87), on the other hand, clearly involves an aryne cyclization. 27 A more versatile route to indoles is based on intramolecular addition of aminyl anions to arynes (equation 38).128 A somewhat similar dihydroindole preparation constitutes the first step in a synthesis of lycoranes (equation 39).129 The synthesis of (88) also falls in the same category of reactions, but it is noteworthy because only a few examples of ring closure of heteroarynes are mentioned in literature.27 28... 

Rezaie and Bremner reported the synthesis of tricyclic 1,4-thiazepines by ring contraction. OT-Cyclophane lactam 237 was treated with Ar-bromosuccinimide and azoisobutyronitrile to yield 47% of dihydroindole derivative 238, as the major product next to side products 239-242 (Scheme 42). The same reaction condition was applied for the ester derivative of 237 (X = COOCH3>, but with longer reaction time. This resulted in indole analogues 240-242 (X = COOCH3) without the formation of dihydroindole derivatives. Bromination on the aromatic ring was observed prior to the intramolecular cyclization. The exact mechanism has not been resolved, but a possible reaction sequence could be... 

NHCH2), which exhibits a typical dihydroindole UV-spectrum, and which, in contrast to mitraphylline, couples with diazotized sulfanilic acid. The formation of a dihydroindole derivative, and not an indole derivative, in this reduction is an indication, though not perhaps a conclusive one, that the molecule is a 3,3-disubstituted oxindole hence, structure V is invalidated (57). 

The first, and hitherto only, synthesis of lysergic acid was effected by the research group of Kornfeld et al. (50, 26). In this particular synthesis a X-acyl-2,3-dihydroindole derivative was used as starting material, thus allowing the formation of rings C and D by classical methods. Dehydrogenation of the 2,3-dihydroindole system to the indole system was only effected in the last stage so that the formation of the benz[c,d]-indoline system was prevented. 

Deuterium labeling experiments have been employed to determine the nature of the final hydride shift17. Two different pathways leading to the formation of the observed product are possible a 1,4-hydride shift or two successive 1,2-shifts. When enamine 35 was irradiated (Scheme 9), the resulting dihydroindole 36 contained deuterium at both C-2 and C-3, suggesting that both possible pathways occur. 

The cobalt-catalyzed co-cyclization of alkynes with heterofunctional substrates is not limited to nitriles. / -Cp-cobalt half-sandwich complexes are capable of co-oligomerizing alkynes with a number of C=C, C=N, C=0, or C=S bonds in a Diels-Alder-type reaction. Chen has observed that these cycloadditions are best performed in the presence of a small amount of ketones or esters [48]. This modified cycloaddition may be used for the formation of dihydroindole systems at the 7 -Cp-cobalt catalyst (eq. (17)). 

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