Indoles alkenylation

These experiments demonstrated that the regioselectivity of palladium-catalyzed indole alkenylation could be controlled. 

In all of the aforementioned cases, the palladium(II)-catalysed indole alkenylation occurred preferentially at the 3-position of the indole moiety, which is consistent with the natural reactivity of indole towards electrophihc aromatic substitution reactions. More recently, a palladium(ll)-catalysed direct oxidative coupling of indole and alkenes was described by Gaunt and coworkers [28] that exploits a selective, solvent-controlled C—H functionalization of free NH indoles and leads to the substitution of the indole core at either the 2- or the 3-position. 

Scheme 7.48 Solvent-controlled regioselective indole alkenylations.

Scheme 7.49 Proposed mechanisms for solvent control in indole alkenylation.

The formation of disubstituted alkynes by coupling of terminal alkynes, followed by intramolecular attack of an alcohol or amine, is used for the preparation of benzofurans and indoles. The benzo[il)]furan 356 can be prepared easily by the reaction of o-iodophenol with a terminal alkyne[262]. The 2-substituted indole 358 is prepared by the coupling of 2-ethynylaniline (357) with aryl and alkenyl halides or triflates, followed by Pd(ll)-catalyzed cycliza-tion[263]. 

Pyrrole derivatives are prepared by the coupling and annulation of o-iodoa-nilines with internal alkynes[291]. The 4-amino-5-iodopyrimidine 428 reacts with the TMS-substituted propargyl alcohol 429 to form the heterocondensed pyrrole 430, and the TMS is removed[292]. Similarly, the tryptophane 434 is obtained by the reaction of o-iodoaniline (431) with the internal alkyne 432 and deprotection of the coupled product 433(293]. As an alternative method, the 2,3-disubstituted indole 436 is obtained directly by the coupling of the o-alky-nyltrifluoroacetanilide 435 with aryl and alkenyl halides or triflates(294]. 

There are reports of an increasing number of palladium-assisted reactions, in some of which the palladium has a catalytic function. Thus furan and thiophene undergo facile palladium-assisted alkenylation giving 2-substituted products. Benzo[6 Jfuran and TV- acetyl-indole yield cyclization products, dibenzofurans and carbazoles respectively, in addition to alkenylated products (8UOC851). The arylation of pyrroles can be effected by treatment with palladium acetate and an arene (Scheme 86) (81CC254). 

The Cacchi group [85] developed a Pd-catalyzed domino process between o-alky-nyltrifluoroacetanilides as 6-157 and aryl or alkenyl halides, which leads to substituted pyrroles within an indole system. This scheme was successfully applied to the preparation of indolo[2,3-a]carbazoles as 6-158 using N-benzyl-3,4-dibro-momaleimide (Scheme 6/1.42). The indolocarbazole is found in several bioactive natural products as arcyriaflavin A and the cytotoxic rebeccamycin. 

Knochel demonstrated the effectiveness of soluble potassium or cesium alkoxides such as KO Bu or CsO Bu as well as KH in iV-methylpyrrolidinone (NMP) for promoting the 5-endo-dig cyclizations of 2-alkynylanilines to 2-substituted indoles in solution or the solid-phase <00AG(E)2488>. Alternatively, Cacchi coupled a palladium-catalyzed cyclization of o-alkynyltrifluoroacetanilides with the addition of benzyl bromide or ethyl iodoacetate to afford 2-substituted-3-benzyl or 3-indolylcarboxylate esters, respectively <00SL394>. Yamamoto reported a new palladium catalyzed indole synthesis in which 2-(l-alkynyl)-Ar-alkylideneanilines 117 give 2-substituted-3-(l-alkenyl)indoles 118 directly from the imine by the in situ coupling of an aldehyde with the alkynylaniline <00JA5662>. 

A similar strategy enabled the 2-alkenylation of indoles using catalytic palladium chemistry (Equation (139)).121... 

The reactions of heteroaromatic compounds such as furans, pyrroles, and indoles with alkynoates proceed under very mild conditions (in acetic acid or even in neutral solvents such as CH2C12 at room temperature). For example, the reaction of pyrrole with ethyl phenylpropiolate gives the 2-alkenylated pyrrole (Equation (44)).47c This reaction is applied to the direct synthesis of a /3-alkenylpyrrole, the pyrrole fragment of haemin (Equation (45)).47d The present reaction provides a very convenient method for functionalization of arenes and heteroarenes. 

Gilchrist examined the cyclization of Af-alkenyl-2-iodoindoles with palladium [268, 269], For example, reaction of A-pentenylindole 244 under Heck conditions affords a mixture of 245 and 246 in very good yield. In the absence of TIOAc, 246 is the major product. Further exposure of 245 to Pd(OAc)2 gives 246. Reaction of l-(4-butenyl)-2-iodoindole under similar conditions affords the pyrrolo[l,2-a]indole ring system in modest yield (35%). 

Substituting the benzene ring with a double bond, Pd-catalyzed intramolecular alkoxylation of alkyne 122 also proceeded via an alkenyl palladium complex to form furan 123 instead of a benzofurans [99, 100]. In addition, 3-hydroxyalkylbenzo[fc]furans was prepared by Bishop et al via a Pd-catalyzed heteroannulation of silyl-protected alkynols with 2-iodophenol in a fashion akin to the Larock indole synthesis, [101]. 

Stoichiometric Pd(II)-mediated oxidative cyclization of alkenyl anilines to indoles. Cf. Wacker oxidation. 

A new benzannulation methodology was developed in order to overcome the limitations of electrocyclic ring closure of divinylindoles. The cyclization is achieved via an allene-mediated electrocyclic reaction of 2,3-difunctionalized indoles. This method is more efficient for the synthesis of highly substituted 2-methyl carbazole alkaloids (559). The 3-alkenyl-2-propargylindole 557, a precursor for the allene intermediate, was prepared from 2-formylindole over several steps using simple functional group transformations (536,537) (Scheme 5.20). 

The reaction of /V-pentenyl-2-iodoindole in the presence of a palladium-triphenylphosphine catalyst led to the formation of a mixture of isomeric products in good yield (4.8.), Addition of thallium(I) acetate favoured the formation of an exocyclic double bond, while in its absence the product containing the endocyclic olefin moiety is formed preferentially. The shortening of the A-alkenyl chain by one carbon leads to the selective formation of a five membered ring.9 Starting from indole-carboxamide derivatives both /3-. and carbolinones are available in intramolecular Heck coupling. 

Regioselective fluorodestannylation of alkenyl and heteroaryl molecules to give 34 can be achieved under mild conditions with cesium fluoroxysulfate, while x-fluoro ketones, e.g. 35, are formed when the tin group is attached to the benzylic position.42 The pyrrole ring in indole derivatives is also successfully fluorinated using this method, e.g. formation of 36.42-45... 

Catalytic reduction of the C-alkenyl and -alkynyl substituents over palladium or Raney nickel can be effected without concomitant hydrogenation of the heterocyclic system to give the corresponding alkyl-pyrroles and -indoles (72HC(25-2)65, B-77MI30504). 

Several (A/-alkenyl)iodoacetamides undergo cyclization when they are reacted with tetrakis(triphe-nylphosphine)palladium(O). The highest yields (which are generally only moderate) are obtained in DMF solution with 1,8-dimethylaminonaphthalene (Proton Sponge) to take up the hydrogen iodide formed. This reaction has been used to prepare piperidones, oxindoles, indolizidines, quinolizidines, pyrrolidines, indoles, quinolines53 and pyrrolizidines (equation 18).54... 

The direct alkenylation of arylamines at the ortho position has been reported in reactions of o -chloroalkenylmagnesium chloride with N-lithioarylamines.22 Use of the CuI-L-proline catalyst system in DMSO has been found to be successful in promoting reactions of aryl iodides and bromides with activated methylene compounds, such as ethyl acetoacetate and diethyl malonate.23 The same catalyst in dioxane has been used in intramolecular cyclization of ene-carbamates leading to indoles or pyrrolo[2,3-cjpyridines.24... 

In CHEC-II(1996), several applications of dihydro-2//-l,2,3-diazaphospholes, generated in situ from a ketone hydrazone and PC13, as useful intermediates for the synthesis of indoles, pyrroles, pyrrolylacetates, and 1,2-di-hydro-2-alkenyl-37/-pyrazol-3-ones are listed <1996CHEC-II(4)771>. 

Treatment of an isocycanobenzene derivative (186) bearing an alkenyl or alkynyl group at the o-position, with Bu3SnH/AIBN generates an indole derivative (187) as shown in eq. 3.72 [200-203]. 

Diaryliodonium fluorides (Ar2IF) are effective reagents in arylation of silyl enolates.330 They have been used for the regiocontrolled synthesis of carbocycle-fused indoles (Scheme 26).331 Ph4BiF also serves for efficient regioselec-tive cr-phenylation of carbonyl compounds via silyl enolates.332 This approach can be extended to cr-alkenylation of carbonyl compounds. 

The cascade sequence that affords bicyclic systems fails with the lithium derivatives of 2-bromo-iV,iV-diallylaniline. The methodology is useful for the synthesis of 3-substituted indolines and indoles, but the substrate undergoes only one anionic cyclization. Alkenyl vinyllithiums and alkenyl aryllithiums have also been employed in the preparation of alkylidenecyclopentanes and indanes. The intramolecular addition of vinyllithium reagents... 

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