3//-Indole, tautomer formation

A large number of Brpnsted and Lewis acid catalysts have been employed in the Fischer indole synthesis. Only a few have been found to be sufficiently useful for general use. It is worth noting that some Fischer indolizations are unsuccessful simply due to the sensitivity of the reaction intermediates or products under acidic conditions. In many such cases the thermal indolization process may be of use if the reaction intermediates or products are thermally stable (vide infra). If the products (intermediates) are labile to either thermal or acidic conditions, the use of pyridine chloride in pyridine or biphasic conditions are employed. The general mechanism for the acid catalyzed reaction is believed to be facilitated by the equilibrium between the aryl-hydrazone 13 (R = FF or Lewis acid) and the ene-hydrazine tautomer 14, presumably stabilizing the latter intermediate 14 by either protonation or complex formation (i.e. Lewis acid) at the more basic nitrogen atom (i.e. the 2-nitrogen atom in the arylhydrazone) is important. 

It has been proposed that protonation or complex formation at the 2-nitrogen atom of 14 would enhance the polarization of the r,6 -7i system and facilitate the rearrangement leading to new C-C bond formation. The equilibrium between the arylhydrazone and its ene-hydrazine tautomer is continuously promoted to the right by the irreversible rearomatization in stage II of the process. The indolization of arylhydrazones on heating in the presence of (or absence of) solvent under non-catalytic conditions can be rationalized by the formation of the transient intermediate 14 (R = H). Under these thermal conditions, the equilibrium is continuously pushed to the right in favor of indole formation. Some commonly used catalysts in this process are summarized in Table 3.4.1. 

Diels-Alder reaction of 3-vinylindole 131 with aryne in the presence of air gives, besides primary Diels-Alder product 132, the methyl 12-methyl-12H-[3]-benzoxepino[l,2-l7]indole-5-carboxylate 135. This can be explained by the formation of 1,2-dioxetane 133, its cyclo reversion and final intramolecular cyclization of dienol 134 or its tautomers (Scheme 26 (1996JCS(P1)1767)). 

Other reports on the [3+2] cycloadditions of indoles and nitrile oxides focus on intermolecular reactions. For example, Gribble [80] has investigated the reaction of (phenylsulfonyl)-2-(tri-n alkylstannyl)indoles 169 with tetranitromethane to give the novel isoxazolo[5,4-b]indole derivative 173 (Scheme 49). The mechanism cascade is thought to proceed through the degradation of the dinitromethyl anion to a nitrile oxide 171, followed by a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to form a nitroindole intermediate 172 and subsequent loss of nitrous acid or SnR3N02. Treatment of the isoxazole 173 with base then leads to the formation of the oxindole tautomer 175 as the major product. 

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