Indoles, alkyl/aryl substituted

Condensation of 165 with ethoxymethylenemalononitrile gave 171, and with ethyl ethoxymethylenecyanoacetate or methyl bis(methylmercapto)-methylene cyanoacetate it yielded 172 (80AP108). The reaction of 172 with urea, thiourea, and benzyl nitrile afforded 173 (91PHA98). Treatment of hydrazino derivatives 165 with alkyl, aryl, or aralkyl isothiocyanates yielded (86JHC1731) 3-(/V-substituted-thiocarbamoyl)-hydrazino[l,2,4]triazino[5,6-b]indoles which have been evaluated for in vitro antimicrobial activity (Scheme 36). 

A palladium-catalyzed one-step synthesis of dihydrobenzo[fc]furan-based fused aromatic heterocycles from bifunctional bromoenoates or bromoalkyl indoles and iodoarenes was reported, and an example is provided in the scheme below <060L3601>. 2-Alkyl- or 2-aryl-substituted benzo[ >]furans were synthesized by a copper-TMEDA catalyzed intramolecular annulation from the corresponding ketones <06OL1467>. 

A related scheme can be applied to indole synthesis, with the aromatization being the result of elimination of Pd(0) and a proton (equation 27) (76JA2674). This scheme has been put into practice for AT-alkyl-o-allylanilines, a few aryl-substituted analogs and methyl-substituted allyl groups. The requisite o-allylanilines were obtained from o-bromoanilines and allylnickel. Provided the requisite starting materials can be constructed, the mild conditions of this cyclization would seem to recommend it for sensitive molecules. 

Fig.24 Chemical structures of 2-alkyl and 2-aryl substituted-3H-indol-3-one-l-oxides [153]...

Jorgensen and co-workers employed chiral bis-sulfonamide catalyst 27, a proven ligand for metal-based asymmetric catalysis, for the Friedel-Crafts alkylations of N-methylindoles (24) using -substituted nitroolefins [52]. Using optimized conditions, 2 mol% 27 gave the desired indole alkylation products of substituted aryl and heteroaryl nitroolefins in moderate to high yields (20-91%) and moderate enantiopurities (13-63% ee Scheme 6.3). Aliphatic -substitution... 

In addition to these methods, carbon-heteroatom bond formation can also be coupled with these Heck cyclizations. One of the more straightforward methods to couple carbon-heteroatom bond formation with Heck cyclization is via enamine generation. For example, the reaction of enolizable aldehydes or ketones with 2-haloanilines provides a route to the construction of enamines for subsequent Heck cyclization. A recent example of this reaction was reported by Nazare, who demonstrated that ortho-chloroanilines can react with enolizable ketones to generate indoles (Scheme 6.54) [74]. This chemistry proceeds in good yields with a diverse variety of symmetrical and unsymmetrical ketones, provided there is only one enamine isomer, and can be applied to a range of substituted indoles. Zhu has demonstrated that enolizable aldehydes can be used in the cyclization [75]. This latter approach can provide a very effective method to selectively incorporate a range of alkyl, aryl or functionalized units into the 3-indole position, many of which are not easily accessible via other routes. 

Davies et al. disclosed a one-pot indole synthesis from cyclohexene 154 and tosylazide (155).The reaction proceeds via a click reaction to form the triazole, followed by Rh-based decomposition, pyrrole formation, and oxidation to indole 156. The indoles (and azaindoles) are formed in very good yield and may be substituted with alkyl-, aryl-, or silyl-proteaed alcohols (13JA11712). 

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