Indole ring reactivity

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. 

An important method for construction of functionalized 3-alkyl substituents involves introduction of a nucleophilic carbon synthon by displacement of an a-substituent. This corresponds to formation of a benzylic bond but the ability of the indole ring to act as an electron donor strongly influences the reaction pattern. Under many conditions displacement takes place by an elimination-addition sequence[l]. Substituents that are normally poor leaving groups, e.g. alkoxy or dialkylamino, exhibit a convenient level of reactivity. Conversely, the 3-(halomethyl)indoles are too reactive to be synthetically useful unless stabilized by a ring EW substituent. 3-(Dimethylaminomethyl)indoles (gramine derivatives) prepared by Mannich reactions or the derived quaternary salts are often the preferred starting material for the nucleophilic substitution reactions. 

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution. The Tt-excessive character of the pyrrole ring makes the indole ring susceptible to electrophilic attack. The reactivity is greater at the 3-position than at the 2-position. This reactivity pattern is suggested both by electron density distributions calculated by molecular orbital methods and by the relative energies of the intermediates for electrophilic substitution, as represented by the protonated stmctures (7a) and (7b). Stmcture (7b) is more favorable than (7a) because it retains the ben2enoid character of the carbocycHc ring (12). 

Acylation. Acylation is the most rehable means of introducing a 3-substituent on the indole ring. Because 3-acyl substituents can be easily reduced to 3-aLkyl groups, a two-step acylation—reduction sequence is often an attractive alternative to direct 3-aLkylation. Several kinds of conditions have been employed for acylation. Very reactive acyl haUdes, such as oxalyl chloride, can effect substitution directiy without any catalyst. Normal acid chlorides are usually allowed to react with the magnesium (15) or 2inc (16) salts. The Vilsmeier-Haack conditions involving an amide and phosphoms oxychloride, in which a chloroiminium ion is the active electrophile, frequentiy give excellent yields of 3-acylindoles. 

The structure of the complex of (S)-tryptophan-derived oxazaborolidine 4 and methacrolein has been investigated in detail by use of H, B and NMR [6b. The proximity of the coordinated aldehyde and indole subunit in the complex is suggested by the appearance of a bright orange color at 210 K, caused by formation of a charge-transfer complex between the 7t-donor indole ring and the acceptor aldehyde. The intermediate is thought to be as shown in Fig. 1.2, in which the s-cis conformer is the reactive one. 

The 3-nitroindoles show interesting reactivity toward the anion of ethyl isocyanoacetate iV-sulfonyl derivatives give the pyrrolo[3,3-b indole ring system lEq. 10.38. " On the other hand, iV-alkoxycarbonyl derivatives give the normal product, the pyrrolo[3,4-li indole ring system fEq, 10,39, ... 

The potential for transition metal complexes to provide new reactivity patterns continues to be explored by the preparation of complexes and the study of their reactivity patterns. The aminoalkyl substituents of gramine, tryptamine and methyl tryptophanate promoted metalation at C2 of the indole ring by Pt(DMSO)2Cl2. The crystal structure of the gramine product was determined. 

Although not described as such, this reactivity of silver as a Lewis acid in C-C bond formation via enamines was already known and actually described in the synthesis of complex indole alkaloids. A A-sulfonyldienamine embedded within a polycyclic indole ring system added to the trimethylsilylated propargyl arm of this system, leading in high yield to a new six-membered ring (Scheme 10.71).110... 

Another striking feature in the aetive site structure is that the indole ring of Trp 290 is parallel to the plane of the Tyr 272 ring and stacked over the Tyr-Cys bond such that the six-membered ring of the Trp is located directly above the Cys sulphur atom. The other face of the Trp indole ring is exposed to solvent and Trp 290 protects the radical site from solvent, probably stabilising the radical and idirectingi the chemical reactivity of the radical to achieve catalysis. 

The reactivity of carbonate radical anion, CO , with amino acids in neutral aqueous solution is not high with k = 10 M s for amino acids with aliphatic side chains and somewhat higher for amino acids with sulfur moieties, k = (10 -10 ) M" s" The reactivity of aromatic moieties vary considerably but indole rings tend to react most rapidly with k 10 M s Hydrogen abstraction likely occurs through an... 

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