2- indole, Diels-Alder

D.L. Boger, S.M. Sakya, Inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reactions of 3,6-bis(methylthio)-l,2,4,5-tetrazine. 1,2-Diazine introduction and direct implementation of a divergent l,2,4,5-tetrazine- l,2-diazine- benzene (indoUne/indole) Diels-Alder strategy, J. Org. Chem. 53 (1988) 1415-1423. 

Benzilic acid rearrangement Benzoin reaction (condensation) Blanc chloromethylation reaction Bouveault-Blanc reduction Bucherer hydantoin synthesis Bucherer reaction Cannizzaro reaction Claisen aldoi condensation Claisen condensation Claisen-Schmidt reaction. Clemmensen reduction Darzens glycidic ester condensation Diazoamino-aminoazo rearrangement Dieckmann reaction Diels-Alder reaction Doebner reaction Erlenmeyer azlactone synthesis Fischer indole synthesis Fischer-Speior esterification Friedel-Crafts reaction... 

Indoles are usually constructed from aromatic nitrogen compounds by formation of the pyrrole ring as has been the case for all of the synthetic methods discussed in the preceding chapters. Recently, methods for construction of the carbocyclic ring from pyrrole derivatives have received more attention. Scheme 8.1 illustrates some of the potential disconnections. In paths a and b, the syntheses involve construction of a mono-substituted pyrrole with a substituent at C2 or C3 which is capable of cyclization, usually by electrophilic substitution. Paths c and d involve Diels-Alder reactions of 2- or 3-vinyl-pyrroles. While such reactions lead to tetrahydro or dihydroindoles (the latter from acetylenic dienophiles) the adducts can be readily aromatized. Path e represents a category Iley cyclization based on 2 -I- 4 cycloadditions of pyrrole-2,3-quinodimcthane intermediates. 

As illustrated in Scheme 8.1, both 2-vinylpyrroles and 3-vinylpyiroles are potential precursors of 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindolcs via Diels-Alder cyclizations. Vinylpyrroles are relatively reactive dienes. However, they are also rather sensitive compounds and this has tended to restrict their synthetic application. While l-methyl-2-vinylpyrrole gives a good yield of an indole with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate, ot-substitiients on the vinyl group result in direct electrophilic attack at C5 of the pyrrole ring. This has been attributed to the stenc restriction on access to the necessary cisoid conformation of the 2-vinyl substituent[l]. 

Two types of cycloaddition reactions have found application for the Synthetic elaboration of indoles. One is Diels-Alder reactions of 2- and 3-vinylindoles which yield partially hydrogenated carbazoles. The second is cycloaddition reactions of 2,3-indolequinodimethane intermediates which also construct the carbazole framework. These reactions arc discussed in the following sections. 

Benzo[Z)]furans and indoles do not take part in Diels-Alder reactions but 2-vinyl-benzo[Z)]furan and 2- and 3-vinylindoles give adducts involving the exocyclic double bond. In contrast, the benzo[c]-fused heterocycles function as highly reactive dienes in [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions. Thus benzo[c]furan, isoindole (benzo[c]pyrrole) and benzo[c]thiophene all yield Diels-Alder adducts (137) with maleic anhydride. Adducts of this type are used to characterize these unstable molecules and in a similar way benzo[c]selenophene, which polymerizes on attempted isolation, was characterized by formation of an adduct with tetracyanoethylene (76JA867). 

When methyl 2-(indol-2-yl)acrylate derivative (22a) reacted with A-methoxy-carbonyl-l,2-dihydropyridine (8a) in refluxing toluene, in addition to the dimer of 22a (25%), a mixture of the expected isoquinculidine 23a and the product 24a (two isomers) was obtained in 7% and 45% yields, respectively (81CC37). The formation of 24a indicates the involvement of the 3,4-double bond of dihydropyridine. Similarly, Diels-Alder reaction of methyl l-methyl-2-(indol-2-yl)acrylate (22b) with 8a gave, in addition to dimer of 22b, a mixture of adducts 23b and 24b. However, in this case, product 23b was obtained as a major product in a 3 2 mixture of two isomers (with a- and (3-COOMe). The major isomer shows an a-conhguration. The yields of the dimer, 23b, and 24b were 25%, 30%, and 6%, respectively. Thus, a substituent on the nitrogen atom or at the 3-position of indole favors the formation of the isoquinuclidine adduct 23. 

The Diels-Alder reactions of the methyl or ethyl ester of benzenesulfonylindole-2-acrylic acid with several l-alkoxycarbonyl-l,2-dihydropyridines are reported and only a single stereoisomer was obtained, as in the case of l-methoxy(ethoxy)-carbonyl-1,2-dihydropyridines. However, when the Diels-Alder reaction of 17 was carried out with 8g[R = (CHsjsC], a mixture of two stereoisomers 18gand25were obtained in a 1 1 ratio (65% total yield). The bulky rerr-butyl group creates sufficient steric interference with the indole ring to cause the loss of stereochemistry ... 

Pyrano[3,4-i]indol-3-one (329) enters the Diels-Alder reaetion with methoxy-butenone as an eleetron-rieh olefin [92JCS(P1)415]. After deearboxylation of the primary adduet330,2-aeetyl-3-methoxy-l, 9-dimethyl-2,3-dihydroearbazole (331) eliminates methanol to form 2-aeetyl-l,9-dimethylearbazole (332) [92JCS (Pl)415]. 

Phenylsulfonyl)indole 330 was converted to a ketone by a set of standard reactions followed by the selenium dioxide oxidation of the resulting acetyl goup to the ketoaldehyde 332 (Scheme 101). Methylthiosemicarbazide hydroiodide reacted with 332 to the triazine 333 in 83% yield. As Diels-Alder reactions with 1 -pyrrolidinocyclohexene failed, 333 was first oxidized... 

Treatment of l-ethylideneamino-3-methylindole 95 with p-toluene sulfonic acid in boiling benzene gave l,2-dihydro[l,2,4]triazino[l,6-a]indole 96 (75CPB2891). The reaction was said to be due to an initial formation of a Diels-Alder-type adduct followed by the liberation of 3-methylindole. Compound % was oxidized either on exposure to air or by the action of chloranil to give 97 (Scheme 24). 

Vinyl- and acetylenic tricarbonyl compounds are reactive dienophilic components in Diels-Alder reactions. Cycloadditions of these compounds with substituted butadienes were recently used to develop a new synthetic approach to indole derivatives [14] (Scheme 2.9) by a three-step procedure including (i) condensation with primary amines, (ii) dehydration and (iii) DDQ oxidation. 

Pyrano-[4,2-b]-pyrrol-5-ones (40) and pyrano-[4,3-b]-pyrrol-6-ones (41) (Figure 2.4) are stable cyclic analogs of pyrrole 2,3-quinodimethane and undergo Diels Alder reaction [40, 41] with various dienophiles to afford indole derivatives after loss of carbon dioxide. 

Indole-2,3-quinodimethanes [44] 44 are bicyclic outer-ring dienes that are widely used to prepare a variety of heterocyclic polycyclic compounds. These dienes, generated by extrusion of CO2 from lactones, are then trapped by dienophiles. Some examples of Diels Alder reactions of the dienes 44 are reported in Scheme 2.19. 

The Diels-Alder cycloadditions of both 2-vinylindoles and 3-vinylindoles are very attractive methods for preparing [bjannelated indoles to serve as lead substances and as building blocks for alkaloids. Pindur and coworkers [84] have extensively studied the vinylindole Diels Alder chemistry. 

Noland and coworkers have developed an interesting methodology for the in situ synthesis of carbazoles. This methodology combines the synthesis of 3-vinylindoles from indoles and acyclic ketones with the subsequent Diels-Alder cycloaddition in one flask to produce a variety of tetrahydrocarbazoles [88] (Scheme 2.36). 

Indole is a weak dienophile in normal Diels-Alder reactions and must be activated by electron-withdrawing substituents at C-2 and C-3. High... 

Acetylchloride is a trapping agent that allows the reaction to go completion, transforming the product into a less oxidizable compound.The results of other reactions between indole (57) and substituted cyclohexa-1,3-dienes show that the photo-induced Diels-Alder reaction is almost completely regioselective. In the absence of 59 the cycloaddition did not occur the presence of [2+2] adducts was never detected. Experimental data support the mechanism illustrated in Scheme 4.14. The intermediate 57a, originated from bond formation between the indole cation radical and 58, undergoes a back-electron transfer to form the adduct 60 trapped by acetyl chloride. 

Table 4.13 Photoinduced Diels-Alder reactions of indoles 64 and dienes 61-63 with sensitizers 59 and 65...

Lee L., Snyder J. K. Indole As a Dienophile in Inverse Electron Demand Diels-Alder and Related Reactions Adv. Cycloaddit. 1999 6 119-171... 

Pindur U., Lemster T. Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Carbazoles and Anellated Indoles With Antitumor Activity DNA-Binding Ligands and Protein Kinase C Inhibitors Recent Res. Dev. Org. Bioorg. Chem. 1997 1 33-54 Keywords Diels-Alder reactions of a 4,7-dioxo-indole with carbodienophiles... 

Merour J. Y., Piroelle S., Joseph B. Synthesis and Reactivity of lH-Indol-3(2H)-One and Related Compounds Trends Heterocycl. Chem. 1997 J 115-126 Keywords inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction, indolone... 

The inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction has also been used to provide expedient access to unnatural 6-carboline alkaloids from 1,2,4-triazines, prepared by microwave-assisted MCR [92]. One-pot reaction of an acyl hydrazide-tethered indole 73, 1,2-diketone and ammonium acetate in acetic acid provided triazines 74 (see Sect. 3.2, Scheme 22), bearing an electron-rich dienophilic indole moiety (Scheme 31). By carrying out the... 

Utilizing an alternate mode of Diels-Alder reactivity, Harman has examined the cycloaddition reactions of 4,5-T -Os(II)pentaammine-3-vinylpyrrole complexes with suitably activated dienophiles <96JA7117>. For instance, cycloaddition of the p-vinylpyrrole complex 58 with 4-cyclopentene-l,3-dione, followed by DDQ oxidation affords 59, possessing the fused-ring indole skeleton of the marine cytotoxic agent, herbindole B. 

The inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction of 3-substituted indoles with 1,2,4-triazines and 1,2,4,5-tetrazines proceeds in excellent yields both inter- and intramolecularly. The cycloaddition of tryptophan 124 with a tethered 1,2,4-triazine produced a diastereomerically pure cycloadduct 125 <96TL5061>. 

Waldmann used (R) and (5>aminoacid methyl esters and chiral amines as chiral auxiliaries in analogous aza-Diels-Alder reactions with cyclodienes.111 The diastereoselectivity of these reactions ranged from moderate to excellent and the open-chain dienes reacted similarly. Recently, the aza-Diels-Alder reaction was used by Waldmann in the asymmetric synthesis of highly functionalized tetracyclic indole derivatives (Eq. 12.45), which is useful for the synthesis of yohimbine- and reserpine-type alkaloids.112... 

Partially hydrogenated indoles are useful heterocycles. They can easily be obtained by a domino Diels-Alder/Schmidt process, as described by Aube and coworkers [30]. An example is the reaction of the enone 4-90 with a butadiene 4-91 in the presence of the Lewis acid MeAlCl2, which led to tricyclic compounds as 4-93 via 4-92 in over 80% yield (Scheme 4.20). The procedure has also been used for the synthesis of pyrroloisoquinolones, azepinoindolones, and perhydroindoles. 

It has been known that aromatic heterocycles such as furan, thiophene, and pyrrole undergo Diels-Alder reactions despite their aromaticity and hence expected inertness. Furans have been especially used efficiently as dienes due to their electron-rich properties. Thiophenes and pyrroles are less reactive as dienes than furans. But pyrroles with A-elecIron-withdrawing substituents are efficient dienes. There exists a limited number of examples of five-membered, aromatic heterocycles acting as dienophiles in Diels-Alder reactions. Some nitro heteroaromatics serve as dienophiles in the Diels-Alder reactions. Heating a mixture of l-(phenylsulfonyl)-3-nitropyrrole and isoprene at 175 °C followed by oxidation results in the formation of indoles (see Eq. 8.22).35a A-Tosyl-3-nitroindole undergoes high-yielding Diels-Alder reactions with... 

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