Indole halogenation

One of the virtues of the Fischer indole synthesis is that it can frequently be used to prepare indoles having functionalized substituents. This versatility extends beyond the range of very stable substituents such as alkoxy and halogens and includes esters, amides and hydroxy substituents. Table 7.3 gives some examples. These include cases of introduction of 3-acetic acid, 3-acetamide, 3-(2-aminoethyl)- and 3-(2-hydroxyethyl)- side-chains, all of which are of special importance in the preparation of biologically active indole derivatives. Entry 11 is an efficient synthesis of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin. A noteworthy feature of the reaction is the... 

Similar halogenations have been done on 2-lithio-l-phenylsulfonylindole[2], 2-Lithio-l-phenylsulfonylindole is readily converted to the 2-(trimethylsilyl) derivative[2,3]. 2-Trialkylstannylindoles can also be prepared via 2-lithio-indoles[4,5], 2-Sulfonamido groups can be introduced by reaction of a 2-lithioindole with sulfur dioxide, followed by conversion of the sulfinic acid group to the sulfonyl chloride with A-chlorosuccinimide[6]. 

There are a wide variety of methods for introduction of substituents at C3. Since this is the preferred site for electrophilic substitution, direct alkylation and acylation procedures are often effective. Even mild electrophiles such as alkenes with EW substituents can react at the 3-position of the indole ring. Techniques for preparation of 3-lithioindoles, usually by halogen-metal exchange, have been developed and this provides access not only to the lithium reagents but also to other organometallic reagents derived from them. The 3-position is also reactive toward electrophilic mercuration. 

Indoles with carbocyclic halogen or triflate substituents are potential starting materials for vinylation, arylation and acylation via palladium-catalysed pro-cesses[l]. Indolylstannanes. indolylzinc halides and indolylboronic acids are also potential reactants. The principal type of substitution which is excluded from such coupling reactions is alkylation, since saturated alkyl groups tend to give elimination products in Pd-catalysed processes. 

The conversion of indoles to oxindoles can be achieved in several ways. Reaction of indoles with a halogenaling agent such as NCS, NBS or pyridin-ium bromide perbromide in hydroxylic solvents leads to oxindoles[l]. The reaction proceeds by nucleophilic addition to a 3-haloindolenium intermediate. 

The oxidation of 3-substituted indole to oxindoles can also be done with a mixture of DMSO and cone, hydrochloric acid[6-9]. This reaction probably involves a mechanism similar to the halogenation with a protonated DMSO molecule serving as the electrophile[10]. 

Many of the common electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions can be conducted on indole. CompHcations normally arise either because of excessive reactivity or the relative instabiUty of the substitution product. This is the case with halogenation. 

Transition-Metal Catalyzed Cyclizations. o-Halogenated anilines and anilides can serve as indole precursors in a group of reactions which are typically cataly2ed by transition metals. Several catalysts have been developed which convert o-haloanilines or anilides to indoles by reaction with acetylenes. An early procedure involved coupling to a copper acetyUde with o-iodoaniline. A more versatile procedure involves palladium catalysis of the reaction of an o-bromo- or o-trifluoromethylsulfonyloxyanihde with a triaLkylstaimylalkyne. The reaction is conducted in two stages, first with a Pd(0) and then a Pd(II) catalyst (29). 

Strychnine can also be halogenated and sulphonated,i and among its high temperature decomposition products indole and carbazole have been recognised. ... 

It is only in relatively recent years that the interaction of indole Grignard reagents with unsaturated aliphatic halogen compounds has... 

The lowered reactivity of the 1-halogen atom in 267 is not unexpected in view of the fact that electron donation by the indole-nitrogen atom as in 269 would reduce the susceptibihty of carbon-1 to nucleophilic... 

Both 3-bromo- and 3-iodo-indoles have been selectively prepared by titrimetric addition to the heterocycle of the halogen dissolved in dimethylformamide. The mildly basic solvent is probably responsible for trapping the generated hydrogen halide (82S1096). 

Novel l//-imidazo[l,2-a]indole-3-carboxylates 47 were prepared <96SC745>. Thermolyses of halogenated 4,5-dicyanoimidazole derivatives 48 (X = H, Y = F, Cl X = 1, Y = Cl, Br, I) at 100-290 °C led to formation of perhaps the ultimate fused-ring imidazole, hexacaib(Hiitrilelris(iinidazo)triazene (HTT) <96JOC6666>. 

Halogenated pyrroles can serve as the aryl halide in Stille couplings with organotin reagents. Scott has used this idea to prepare a series of 3-vinylpyrroles, which are important building blocks for the synthesis of vinyl-porphyrins, bile pigments, and indoles [77]. Although 3-chloro-and 3-bromopyrroles fail completely or fared poorly in this chemistry, 3-iodopyrroles 101 work extremely well to yield 3-vinylpyrroles 102. 

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