4,7-dihydroindoles

A traditional method for such reductions involves the use of a reducing metal such as zinc or tin in acidic solution. Examples are the procedures for preparing l,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazole[l] or ethyl 2,3-dihydroindole-2-carbox-ylate[2] (Entry 3, Table 15.1), Reduction can also be carried out with acid-stable hydride donors such as acetoxyborane[4] or NaBHjCN in TFA[5] or HOAc[6]. Borane is an effective reductant of the indole ring when it can complex with a dialkylamino substituent in such a way that it can be delivered intramolecularly[7]. Both NaBH -HOAc and NaBHjCN-HOAc can lead to N-ethylation as well as reduction[8]. This reaction can be prevented by the use of NaBHjCN with temperature control. At 20"C only reduction occurs, but if the temperature is raised to 50°C N-ethylation occurs[9]. Silanes cun also be used as hydride donors under acidic conditions[10]. Even indoles with EW substituents, such as ethyl indole-2-carboxylate, can be reduced[ll,l2]. 

The photocyclization of N-aryl enamines derived from cyclic or acyclic ketones proceeds under mild conditions to produce 2,3-dihydroindole derivatives (178b). The stereochemistry of the products is predominantly trans, which follows from a photochemical electrocyclic process which should take place in a conrotatory manner (178c,I78d). However, the presence of some cis products is not as easily explained. 

For the preparation of 2,3-dihydroindoles (8) from indoles (7), two reduction methods are known. In the column Reduction Method in the table, the one indicated A represents use of EtsSiH in TFA (79JOC4809) and the other, indicated B, employs NaBHsCN in AcOH (77S859, 88JMC1746). Although both methods are applicable, the former is generally superior to the latter. In some cases, depending on the substrates structures, the reverse cases are also observed. Examples are the reactions marked B in the column. 

Synonyms 1-Azaindan BRN 0111915 Dihydroindole 2,3-Dihydroindole 2,3-Dihydro-1/f-indole EINECS 207-816-8 IDM Indolene NSC 93698. 

Horn et al. (2) prepared branched polycarbonate resins by reacting l,l,l-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane and 3,3-bis(3-methyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-oxo-2,3-dihydroindole, (II), with phosgene. 

The fluorination of 1-substituted indole 32 with F-Teda BF4 (6) in acetonitrile or acetonitrile/ methanol gives 3-fluoro-2-methoxy-l-tosyl-2,3-dihydroindole (33) in 48% isolated yield.87 Relative stereochemistry about the 2,3-bond in the dihydropyrrole ring was confirmed as trans by X-ray crystallographic analysis. F-Teda BF4 (6) reacts with 2- and 3-trimethylstannyl-sub-stituted 1-tosylindoles to give the corresponding fluoroindoles in 40 and 21 % yield, respectively.108... 

In 1927 Raper showed that the red pigment obtained on oxidation of DOPA [i.e. 2,3-dihydroindole-5,6-quinone-2-carboxylic acid, dopachrome (4)] rearranged spontaneously by an autoreduction process in vacuo to 5,6-dihydroxyindole (29).72 The rearrangement process could be accelerated by the action of alkali or sulfur dioxide.72 In the latter case, decarboxylation did not accompany the rearrangement and the colorless derivative was 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (17).72 Compounds 17 and 29 were isolated as their dimethyl ethers, (30A) and (30B).72 Immediate decolorization of epinochrome (27) solutions on addition of alkali was reported a few years later.134... 

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. 

The acid-catalyzed dimerization of pyrroles and indoles also involves electrophilic attack by the 2H- or 3//-protonated species upon the non-protonated heterocycles (Schemes 6, 7 and 8, Section 3.05.1.2.2), and 3,3-dimethyl-3//-indole has been reported to react with 7r-electron-rich aromatic compounds to yield the 2-ary.l-3,3-dimethyl-2,3-dihydroindoles (77S343). In the absence of a nucleophile strong acids promote the interchange of substituents at the 2- and 3-positions of 2,3,3-trisubstituted 3//-indoles, e.g. (510) (511) (62JOC1553). 

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