EtOAc

Transition metals absorbed onto a solid support metal Pd,Pt, Ni, Rh support Carbon, alumina, silica solvent EtOH, EtOAc, Et20, hexanes, etc. 

Diethyl oxalate (29.2 g, 0.20mol) and 4-bromo-2-nitrotoluene (21.6 g, O.lOmol) were added to a cooled solution of sodium cthoxide prepared from sodium (4.6 g, 0.20 mol) and ethanol (90 ml). The mixture was stirred overnight and then refluxed for 10 min. Water (30 ml) was added and the solution refluxed for 2h to effect hydrolysis of the pyruvate ester. The solution was cooled and concentrated in vacuo. The precipitate was washed with ether and dried. The salt was dissolved in water (300 ml) and acidified with cone. HCl. The precipitate was collected, washed with water, dried and recrystallizcd from hexane-EtOAc to give 15.2 g of product. 

The pyruvic acid (28.8 g, 0.10mol) was dissolved in 1 NNaOH (300 ml) and stirred at 0 "C. A solution of 30% HjOj (11.3 ml, 0.10 mol) was added dropwise. The solution was stirred for 1 h at 5 C and then acidified with dil. HCl. The precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with water, dried and recrystallizcd from hcxanc-EtOAc to yield 22.2 g (8,5% yield) of the product. 

Bromo-2-nitrophenylacetic acid (26 g, 0.10 mol) was dissolved in a mixture of 50% HjSO (400 ml) and ethanol (600 ml) and heated to 90°C. Over a period of 1 h, zinc dust (26.2 g, 0.40 mol) was added. slowly and then heating was continued for 2 h. The excess ethanol was removed by distillation. The solution was cooled and filtered. The filtrate was extracted with EtOAc. The filtered product and extract were combined, washed with 5% NaCOj and brine and then dried (MgSO ). The solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue recrystallized from methanol to give 20.5 g (97% yield) of the oxindole. 

Benzyloxy-6-bromo-4-nitro-JV-(2-propeny])aniline (5.82 g, 16 mmol), tetra-ii-butylammonium bromide (5.16 g, 16 mmol) and titjN (4.05 g, 40 mmol) were dissolved in DMF (15 ml). Palladium acetate (72 mg, 2 mol%) was added and the reaction mixture was stirred for 24 h. The reaction mixture was diluted with EtOAc, filtered through Cclite, washed with water, 5"/o HCl and brine, dried and evaporated in vacuo. The residue was dissolved in CHjClj and filtered through silica to remove colloidal palladium. Evaporation of the eluate gave the product (4.32 g) in 96% yield. 

A solution of sodium methoxide (25% w, 115 ml, 532 mmol) in methanol (187 ml) was cooled to — 8 "C under nitrogen. A solution of 2,4,5-trimethoxy-benzaldehyde (25 g, 128 mmol) and methyl azidoacetate (59 g, 513 mmol) in a 1 2 mixture of methanol-THF (50 ml 4- 100ml) was added dropwisc to the sodium methoxide solution with stirring at — 8°C over a period of 45 min. The solution was stirred and kept below 5°C for 2 h. The mixture was then poured onto ice (1 kg) and stirred. The precipitate which resulted was collected by filtration, washed with water and dried over CaCl in a vacuum desiccator. The dried precipitate was dissolved in EtOAc (600 ml) and dried over Na2S04. 

A solution of At-(tcrt-butoxycarbonyl)-6-methoxy-2-methylaniline (11.9 g, 50 mmol) was cooled to — 40°C and s-BuLi (96 ml of 1.3 M in cyclohexane. 125mmol) was added. The mixture was stirred at —45°C to —55°Cfor 30min and then allowed to warm slowly to — 15"C over 60 min. The yellow solution was recooled to —45 C and DMF (5.8 ml, 75 mmol) was added. After 5 min the reaction mixture was diluted with water (250 ml) and the product was extracted with EtOAc (2 x 150 ml). The extract was washed with w ater (200ml) and then concentrated in vacuo. The residue was dissolved in THF (100 ml) and 12 N HCl (2 ml) was added. The solution was stirred for 5 min at room temperature and then diluted with ether (250 ml). The solution was washed with water (250 ml), sat. aq. NaHCOj (250 ml), and brine (250 ml), dried (Na2S04) and evaporated. The product was purified by chromatography using 2% EtOAc in hexane for elution. The yield (9.3 g) was 75%. 

Phenyl-3-oxopropanoic acid (25 mmol) and EtjN (87.5 mmol) were dissolved in THF (150 ml) and cooled to —40°C. Ethyl chloroformate (27.5 mmol) was added dropwise to this solution and then the reaction mixture was stirred for 30 min at —20°C. Di-n-hexylamine (27.5 mmol) was added to the suspension and it was stirred at room temperature for an additional hour. The reaction mixture was diluted with water (100 ml) and extracted with ether (400 ml). The extract was washed with aq. 5% HCl (100 ml) and brine (2 X 100 ml) and dried over NajSO. The crude amide was obtained by removal of the solvent in vacuo and phenylhydrazine (25 mmol) was added. The mixture was heated to 100°C for 30 min. The residue was held in vacuo to remove the water formed and then powdered ZnCl2 (125 mmol) was added. The mixture was heated at 170"C with manual stirring for 5 min. The cooled residue was dissolved in acetone (100 ml) and diluted with ether (500 ml). Water (100 ml) was added. The organic layer was separated and washed successively with 5% aq. HCl (100 ml) and brine (2 x 100 ml) and dried over NajSO. The solvent was removed in vacuo, and the residue was recrystallized from EtOAc-hexane. The yield was 79%. 

A mixture of l-(r-Boc)indol-2-yl-tri- -butylstannanc (1.2 mmol) and 4-bromo-benzonitrile (1.0 mmol) and Pd(PPh3)2C , (0.02 mmol) in dry dioxane (5 ml) was heated at I00°C overnight under nitrogen. The reaction mixture was cooled, diluted with EtOAc and stirred for 15 min with 15% aq. KF. The precipitate was removed by filtration and washed with EtOAc. The EtOAc layer was separated, washed with brine, dried (Na2S04) and concentrated. The residue was purified by chromatography on silica. The yield was 66%. 

A solution of benzyl indole-5-carboxylate(1.0g, 3.98 mmol) and methyl 4-(bro-momethyl)-3-methoxybenzoate (2.06 g, 7.97 mmol) in dry DMF (10 ml) was heated at 80°C for 24 h. The reaction solution was cooled, poured into water (100 ml) and the product extracted with EtOAc (3 x 75 ml). The extract was washed with water and brine and dried over MgSO, . The product was obtained by evaporation of the solvent and purified by chromatography on silica gel using 1 4 EtOAc/hexane for elution. The yield was 1.11 g (32%) and some of the indole (30%) was recovered unreacted. 

To a stirred ice-cooled solution of 2-(dimethylamino)-l-nitroethene (1.67 g, 14.4mmol) in TFA (7.2ml) was added 6-benzyloxy-l-methylindole (3.42g, 14.4 mmol). The solution was allowed to warm to room temperature and poured into ice water. The product was extracted using EtOAc to give 6-benzyloxy-l-methyl-3-(2-nitroethenyl)indoIe (4.2 g, 95%). 

The previous product was added to LiAlH (6 eq.) in THF. The solution was heated at reflux for 1 h. The excess hydride was destroyed by dropwise addition of water and the resulting mixture filtered through Celite. The filtrate was diluted with EtOAc, washed with brine and dried (Na2S04). The product was an oil (3.4 g, 98%). 

Potassium hydride (1 eq.) was washed with hexanes and suspended in anhydrous ether at 0°C. 7-Bromoindole was added as a solution in ether. After 15 min, the solution was cooled to — 78°C and t-butyllithium (2 eq.) which had been precooled to — 78°C was added by cannula. A white precipitate formed. After 10 min DMF (2 eq.) was added as a solution in ether. The reaction mixture was allowed to warm slowly to room temperature and when reaction was complete (TLC) the suspension was poured into cold 1 M H3PO4. The product was extracted with EtOAc and the extract washed with sat. NaHCOj and dried (MgS04). The product was obtained by evaporation of the solvent and purified by chromatography on silica gel (61% yield). 

A mixture of 4-bromo-l-(4-methylphenylsulfonyl)indole (88 mg, 0.25 mmol), methyl a-acetamidoacrylate (91 mg, 0.64 mmol), PdCl2(PPh3)2 (16 mg, 0.023 mmol) and NaOAc (82 mg, 0.98 mmol) in EtjN (0.8 ml) and DMF (0.4 ml) was heated to 120°C in a sealed tube for 2 h. The tube was opened and the contents diluted with EtOAc and filtered through Celite. The EtOAc was washed successively with 10% HCl, sat. NaHC03 and brine and then dried (MgS04). The residue was purified by elution through silica gel with 10 1 benzene-EtOAc to give the product as a yellow solid (93 mg, 90%). 

A solution of 6-bromoindole (O.lOmol) in toluene (200 ml) was treated with Pd(PPh3)4 (5mol%) and stirred for 30 min. A solution of 4-fluorophenyl-boronic acid (0.25 M, 0.15 mol) in abs. EtOH was added, followed immediately by sal aq. NaHCOj (10 eq.). The biphasic mixture was refluxed for several hours and then cooled to room temperature. The reaction mixture was poured into sat. aq. NaCl (200 ml) and the layers separated. The aq. layer was extracted with additional EtOAc (200 ml) and the combined organic layers dried (Na2S04), filtered and concentrated in vacuo. The solution was filtered through silica gel using hexane-CHjCl -hexanc for elution and evaporated. Final purification by recrystallization gave the product (19 g, 90%). 

To a stirred ice-cold solution of ethyl 3,6-dihydro-5-hydroxy-8-methyl-6-(phenylsulfonyl)benzo[l,2-b 4,3-b ]dipyrrole-l-carboxylate (368 mg, 0.85 mmol) in TEA (3ml) was added EtjSiH (1.5 ml), After 15 min the solution was allowed to come to room temperature and stirred for an additional 2h. The solution was evaporated in vacuo and the residue dissolved in CH2CI2 (10 ml), washed.with aq. NaHCOj and dried over MgS04. The solution was mixed with AcjO (1ml) and CH2C12 (1ml) and kept at room temperature for 2 h. The reaction mixture was evaporated and the residue purified by chromatography on silica gel using CHjClj-EtOAc (3 1) for elution. The product (271 mg) was obtained in 71 % yield. 

A solution of l,3-dimethyl-5-methoxyindole (4.5 g, 0.026 mol) in DMSO (27 ml) was maintained at as cone. HCl (23 ml, 0.77 mol) was added dropwise over 15 min. Stirring was continued for 3 h at room temperature and the reaction mixture was then poured into ice-watcr (100 ml). The mixture was neutralized vvith NaHCOj to pH 7 and extracted with EtOAc (100 ml x 2). The EtOAc was removed in vacuo and the residue purified by chromatography on silica using hexane-EtOAc (7 3) for elution. The yield was 4.35 g (88%). 

A solution of methyl l,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazoIe-2-acetate (5.94 g) in THF (195ml) containing water (15ml) was cooled to 0"C and DDQ (11.22 g) dissolved in dcoxygenated THF (75 ml) was added. The solution was maintained at 0°C for 2 h and then evaporated in vacuo. The residue was dissolved in EtOAc and washed thoroughly with aq. NaHCOj solution to remove dichlorodicyanohydroquinone. The EtOAc was then dried (MgS04) and evaporated to give methyl 4-oxo-l,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazole-2-acetate (5.23 g) in 85% yield. 

I2O5 (400 mg 1.20 mmol) was added to a solution of a cycloalka[b]indole (l.OOmmol) in 80% aqueous THF (25 ml). The mixture was stirred at room temperature and the solvent removed in vacuo. The residue was extracted into EtOAc and the extract washed with water, 5% NaS203, saturated NaHCOj and brine and dried over Na2S04. The solvent was evaporated and the residue purified by silica gel chromatography. 

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