Indoles, 2-alkyl-, synthesis

Another indole/oxindole synthesis achieves the critical ortho-substitution by Sommelet-Hauser rearrangement of an anilinosiilfonium ion intermediate. Use of P-thioketones (G = R, an alkyl group) generates 2-substituted indoles, whereas P-thioesters (G = OR) lead to oxindoles. In each case, a 3-thio substituent must be removed by desulfuri2ation. 

In terms of economical synthetic approaches to indoles, the synthesis of this heterocycle from anilines and trialkylammonium chlorides was effected in an aqueous medium (H20-dioxane) at 180°C in the presence of a catalytic amount of ruthenium(III) chloride hydrate and triphenylphosphine together with tin(II)chloride <00TL1811>. Muchowski devised a novel synthetic route to indole-4-carboxaldehydes and 4-acetylindoles 86 via hydrolytic cleavage of W-alkyl-5-aminoisoquinolinium salts 85 to homophthaldehyde derivatives upon heating in a two phase alkyl acetate-water system containing an excess of a 2 1 sodium bisulfite-sodium sulfite mixture <00JHC1293>. 

Indole, 2-acyl-1-benzenesulfonyl-intramolecular nucleophilic reactions, 4, 244 Indole, 1-acyloxy-synthesis, 4, 364 Indole, alkoxy-synthesis, 4, 367 Indole, 1-alkoxy-synthesis, 4, 364 Indole, 4-alkoxy-synthesis, 4, 328 Indole, 2-alkoxycarbonyl synthesis, 4, 337 Indole, alkyl-... 

Enantioselective additions of a,f)-unsaturated 2-acyl imidazoles, catalyzed by bis(oxazolinyl)pyridine-scandium(III)triflate complex, were used for the asymmetric synthesis of 3-substituted indoles. The complex 114 was one of the most promising catalysts. The choice of acetonitrile as the solvent and the use of 4 A molecular sieves were also found to be advantageous. The 2-acyl imidazole residue in the alkylation products of u,(i-unsaturated 2-acyl imidazoles could be transformed into synthetically useful amides, esters, carboxylic acid, ketones, and aldehydes (Scheme 32) [105]. Moreover, the catalyst 114 produced both the intramolecular indole alkylation and the 2-substituted indoles in good yield and enantioselectivity (Scheme 33) [106]. The complex... 

Of the five alkaloids with known structures, physostigmine (1), esera-mine (3), and physovenine (4) have been synthesized 1-4). Since the conversion of physostigmine (1), a principal alkaloid, to physovenine (4) (6) and geneserine (S) 7,8) has also been established, synthesis of the former implies acquisition of the latter two alkaloids in a formal sense. Up to 1970, the synthesis of geneserine (5) was not reported because its structure had been considered to be the /V-oxide of physostigmine (1) until 1969 9-II) since its first isolation in 1915 (72), The four approaches to the synthesis of physostigmine (1) may be classified into four types based on the key step employed (i) the Fischer indolization route, (ii) the indole alkylation route, (iii) the oxindole alkylation route [including synthesis of physovenine (4)], and (iv) the oxidative indolization route 1-4) (Scheme I). 

Fukuyama devised a novel tin-mediated indole ring synthesis leading directly to 2-stannylindoles that can capture aryl and alkyl halides in a Pd-catalyzed crosscoupling termination reaction [110-112]. The presumed pathway is illustrated and involves initial tributylstannyl radical addition to the isonitrile 65, cyclization, and final formation of stannylindole 66. 

The Butin indole ring synthesis is a new variation of several amino-carbonyl indole-forming reactions related most closely to the Reissert reaction (Chapter 40). The fundamental reaction is illustrated in Scheme 1 [1, 2], Alkylation of suitable furans 2 with the benzyUc alcohols 1 afforded the o-tosylaminobenzylfurans 3 in good yield. A conventional acid hydrolysis of the furan ring, which serves as a 1,4-dicarbonyl unit, led to indoles 5 via enol tautomer 4. 

SCHEME 11.4. Indole alkylation for the synthesis of potential drugs. 

Retrosynthetic path b in Scheme 3.1 corresponds to reversal of the electrophilic and nucleophilic components with respect to the Madelung synthesis and identifies o-acyl-iV-alkylanilines as potential indole precursors. The known examples require an aryl or EW group on the iV-alkyl substituent and these substituents are presumably required to facilitate deprotonation in the condensation. The preparation of these starting materials usually involves iV-alkyla-tion of an o-acylaniline. Table 3.3 gives some examples of this synthesis. 

Another category Ic indole synthesis involves cyclization of a-anilino aldehydes or ketones under the influence of protonic or Lewis acids. This corresponds to retro.synthetic path d in Scheme 4.1. Considerable work on such reactions was done in the early 1960s by Julia and co-workers. The most successful examples involved alkylation of anilines with y-haloacetoacetic esters or amides. For example, heating IV-substituted anilines with ethyl 4-bromoacetoacetate followed by cyclization w ith ZnClj gave indole-3-acetate esterfi]. Additional examples are given in Table 4.3. 

Lewis acids such as zinc triflate[16] and BF3[17] have been used to effect the reaction of indole with jV-proiected aziridine-2-carboxylate esters. These alkylations by aziridines constitute a potential method for the enantioselective introduction of tryptophan side-chains in a single step. (See Chapter 13 for other methods of synthesis of tryptophans.)... 

The appearance of the 2-(indol-3yl)ethylamine (tryptamine) unit in both tryptophan-derived natural products and in synthetic materials having potential pharmacological activity has generated a great deal of interest in the synthesis of such compounds. Several procedures which involve either direct 3-alkylation or tandem 3-functionalization/modification have been developed. Similarly, methodology applicable to preparation of tryptophan analogues has been widely explored. 

A versatile tryptophan synthesis which proceeds directly from indoles as starting materials was developed by Gilchrist[5], The alkylation reagent is the... 

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