Indole derivatives reaction with, phosgene

The reactivity of five-membered rings with one heteroatom to electrophilic reagents has been quantitatively compared. Table 1 shows that the rates of substitution for (a) formylation by phosgene and V,iV-dimethylformamide, (b) acetylation by acetic anhydride and tin(IV) chloride, and (c) trifluoroacetylation with trifluoroacetic anhydride (71AHC(13)235) are all in the sequence furan > tellurophene > selenophene > thiophene. Pyrrole is still more reactive as shown by the rate for trifluoroacetylation, by the relative rates of bromination of the 2-methoxycarbonyl derivatives (pyrrole > furan > selenophene > thiophene), and by the rate data on the reaction of the iron tricarbonyl-complexed carbocation [C6H7Fe(CO)3]+ (Scheme 5) (2-methylindole ss V-methylindole > indole > pyrrole > furan > thiophene (73CC540)). 

The Vilsmeier-Haack formylation procedure (Scheme 24) provides the most effective synthesis of formylpyrroles and indoles. Reaction of the heterocycles with the immonium cation (72), derived from DMF or (V-methylformanilide with an acid chloride, such as phosphorus oxychloride, thionyl chloride, phosgene, oxalyl chloride, benzoyl chloride or bromotriphenylphosphonium bromide, yields the intermediate heteroarylimmonium salt (73). Under suitable reaction conditions, this salt may be isolated from the reaction involving phosphorus oxychloride as an impure chlorophosphate (78TH30500) or precipitated from the reaction system as the thermally unstable perchlorate by the addition of sodium... 

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