Friedel-Crafts alkylation biological

The chemistry of aromatic compounds is dominated hy electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions, both in the laboratory and in biological pathways. Many variations of the reaction can be carried out, including halogenation, nitration, sulfonation, and hydroxylation. Friedel-Crafts alkylation and acylation, which involve reaction of an aromatic ring with carho-cation electrophiles, are particularly useful. 

A Biological Friedel-Crafts Alkylation (19.8) Controlling Fleas (21.16)... 

The enantioselective Friedel-Crafts alkylation of indoles with nitroalkenes is one of the most important carbon-bond-forming reactions for the preparation of biologically active compounds, such as indole alkaloids [39], Although several chiral catalysts have been investigated for the reaction, the enantioselectivities are not always satisfactory. Akiyama and coworkers developed a highly enantioselective Friedel-Crafts reaction of nitroalkenes 77 with indoles 75 using chiral phosphoric acid Ih (Scheme 11.21) [40]. They found that the addition of molecular... 

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