Indole 3-cyano

The final step can involve introduction of the amino group or of the carbonyl group. o-Nitrobenzyl aldehydes and ketones are useful intermediates which undergo cyclization and aromatization upon reduction. The carbonyl group can also be introduced by oxidation of alcohols or alkenes or by ozonolysis. There are also examples of preparing indoles from o-aminophcnyl-acetonitriles by partial reduction of the cyano group. 

Prior quaternization method 4-acetyl-4-cyano-5-(indol-3-yl)pentan-2-one[9]... 

Unsaturated hydrazones, unsaturated diazonium salts or hydrazones of 2,3,5-triketones can be used as suitable precursors for the formation of pyridazines in this type of cyclization reaction. As shown in Scheme 61, pyridazines are obtainable in a single step by thermal cyclization of the tricyanohydrazone (139), prepared from cyanoacetone phenylhydrazone and tetracyanoethylene (76CB1787). Similarly, in an attempted Fischer indole synthesis the hydrazone of the cyano compound (140) was transformed into a pyridazine (Scheme 61)... 

Powers reported recently that 3- 2-pyridyl)indole (103) is obtained in ca. 17% yield by the interaction of 2-chloropyridine with indole magnesium iodide in a sealed tube at 160° for 12 hours.3-(3-Cyano-... 

Dimethylindole magnesium iodide reacts with chloroacetonitrile in ether to give 3-cyanomethyl-2,3-dimethylindolenine (234). Majima and Hoshino obtained 3-(2-cyanoethyl)lndole (235) by the action of -chloropropionitrile on indole magnesium iodide. The reaction was slower with -chloropropionitrilc than with chloro-aoetonitrile. 3-(3-Cyano-w-propyl)indole (236), required as an intermediate in the synthesis of 3-indolyl-y-w-butyric acid, was prepared, but not isolated, by the action of y-chloro-w-butyronitrile on indole magnesium iodide. ... 

Zenitz obtained the analogous compounds 237 and 238 by the action of the corresponding a-cyano-w-bromo-w-alkanes on 2-methylindolyl magnesium bromide in ether. Eiter and Svierak prepared a-(3-indolyl)propionitrile (239) by the action of a-bromopropionitrile on indole magnesium iodide in anisole. ... 

In contrast, reaction of 82 with NaCN in DMF-H2O at reflux results in the formation of 7-cyano-6-nitroindole (201, 15%) and 83 (4%) as isolable products together with tar matter, and, to our surprise, 2- and/or 3-cyano-6-nitroindoles are not detected at all. When the reaction is carried out in DMSO at 150°C, only demethoxylation occurred to give 83 (62%). On the other hand, utilizing KOt-Bu and p-chlorophenoxyacetonitrile (25), the vicarious substitution reaction (87ACR282) of 82 proceeds smoothly to give a 7-cyanomethylated indole (202, 67%) (2001H1151). 

Iwakawa et al. studied the reaction of 3-acetonyl-5-cyano-l,2,4-thiadiazole 72 with a series of 4-substituted phenylhydrazine hydrochlorides. When electron-donating substituents were used (e.g., methyl and methoxy) in the phenyl ring of the hydrazine, the reaction proceeded via a Fischer-indole mechanism to give indoles 73 as the sole product. In contrast, reaction of 72 with phenylhydrazine and 4-chlorophenylhydrazine gave only small amounts of indole 72, but much higher yields of the pyrazole 74. The authors described in detail the respective reaction mechanisms... 

Derivatives formed having a substituent other than a cyano group on the indole ring have decreased stability and reduced fluorescence response. 

Guertler et al. (1996) described a wide range of cycloaddition reaction between 2-vinyl indoles acting as heterodienes and cyclic or acyclic enamines bearing acceptor groups in (3 positions. The reaction was induced by the formation of 2-vinylindole cation-radicals through anodic oxidation. The synthesis of 4a-carbomethoxy-6-cyano-5,7-dimethylindolo[l,2-a]-l,2,3,4,4a,12a-hexahydro-1,8-naphthyridine can serve as an example (Scheme 7.24). 

To carry out the similar MCR involving 5-amino-3-methyl-l-phenylpyrazole, aromatic aldehydes, and 3-cyanoacetyl indoles, Zhu et al. [70] used microwave-assisted synthesis in glygol at 150°C. Application of other solvents was less effective and gave either no reaction products (water medium) or led to the sufficient yield decreasing (EtOH, HOAc, DME). Microwave irradiation was also used by Quiroga et al. [71] to synthesize ether 4-aryl-5-cyano-6-phenylpyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-3-ones or their dihydroderivatives under argone atmosphere. 

Beccalli et al. reported a new synthesis of staurosporinone (293) from 3-cyano-3-(lH-indol-3-yl)-2-oxo propionic acid ethyl ester (1464) (790). The reaction of 1464 with ethyl chlorocarbonate and triethylamine afforded the compound 1465, which, on treatment with dimethylamine, led to the corresponding hydroxy derivative 1466. The triflate 1467 was prepared from 1466 by reaction with trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride (Tf20) in the presence of ethyldiisopropylamine. The palladium(O)-catalyzed cross-coupling of the triflate 1467 with the 3-(tributylstannyl)indole 1468 afforded the vinylindole 1469 in 89% yield. Deprotection of both nitrogen atoms with sodium ethoxide in ethanol to 1470, followed by photocyclization in the presence of iodine as the oxidizing agent provided the indolocarbazole 1471. Finally, reductive cyclization of 1471 with sodium borohydride-cobaltous chloride led to staurosporinone (293) in 40% yield (790) (Scheme 5.248). 

The related cyclization of 2-ethynylanilines 67 also represents one of the usefiil methods for the synthesis of 2-substituted indoles since the precursors are easily prepared from 2-haloanilines 66 by Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling with terminal alkynes. Althou cyclizations of such alkynes are normally effected using Cu(I) or Pd(II) species, Sakamoto showed that in the absence of such metals, base catalysis (e.g., NaOEt) alone can accomplish the same goal. This author now reports that tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) is capable of inducing cyclization to the indoles 68 without affecting functionalities such as bromo, cyano, ethoxycarbonyl, and ethynyl <99JCS(P1)529>. 

General procedures for the synthesis of 10f/-[l]benzothieno[3,2- ]indoles 359a-c <2003T3737> and 2,4-dimethylpyrrolo[3,2-, ]indole 360 <1997J(P1)2843> using palladium-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of the appropriate o-bromodiarylamines and palladium-catalyzed arylation of a cyano group, respectively, were described. 

Electron-withdrawing substituents seem to stabilize the benzo[cjfuran system as they do in the analogous benzo[c]thiophene and benzo [c]indole series. l-Cyano-3-phenylbenzo[c]furan (128) was obtained from the aldehyde 127 as stable yellow needles hydrolysis with base yields the carboxylic acid (129). Catalyzed hydrogenation of these cornpounds leads to 1,3-dihydrobenzo[c]furans (130, R = CH2NH2, COOH = Ph). Increased... 

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