Indoles, from enamines

Synthesis of indoles from enamines and imines by cross-dehydrogenative couphng 12AG(E)9220. 

Oxazines, which are readily prepared from enamines and a-bromokctoximes, are reductively converted to pyrroles in good yields by iron carbonyls (Scheme 116) (81CL869). The reductive conversion of cinnolines to indoles or indolines (71JCS(C)3088> and of phthalazines to isoindoles or phthalimidines (70ACS1867) may occasionally be of synthetic value. 

Related Pd-cyclizations have been applied to the synthesis of 3-carboethoxy-2-trifluoromethylindoles [329], 2-carbobenzyloxy-4-hydroxymethyl-3-methylindoles, a unit that is present in the antibiotic nosiheptide, from a 2-(2-iodoanilino) unsaturated ester [330], 2- and 3-indolecarboxylates on solid phase [331], stephacidin A [332], an indolylquinoline KDR kinase inhibitor [333], tricyclic indoles from (2-iodophenyl)alkyl allenes [334], and 3-cyanoindoles [335], A nice vaiiation utilizes the in situ synthesis of 2-iodoanilino enamines and subsequent cyclization as shown for the preparation of indoles 322 [336],... 

In addition to several general reviews on enamine chemistry, all of which include heterocyclic syntheses, there is an extensive survey by Hickmott which is entirely concerned with the formation of heterocycles. More specialized reviews deal with heterocyclic enamines, enaminones, the photochemistry of enamides , heterocyclic jS-enamino esters , enamino thiones , the synthesis of indole alkaloids via enamines , formation of pyrimidines, pyridopyrimidines, pyridines and pyrrolizines from enamines , synthesis of lactams , formation of heterocycles from cyclic enamino ketones and 2-acetylcyclohexen-l-ones, the synthesis of 3-cyano-2(l -pyrimidine-thiones and -selenones from jS-enamino ketones and the chemistry of cyclic en-aminonitriles. ... 

The phenylhydrazones required for the Fischer synthesis are prepared from carbonyl compounds and phenylhydrazine. Alternatively, they can be obtained by a Japp-Klingemann reaction from CH-acidic compounds (y diketones, y -keto esters, etc.) or from enamines by interaction with aryldia-zonium salts. More complex indoles are thus accessible by a simple route. This is demonstrated by the synthesis of 3-(indol-3-yl)propionic acid 40, the starting material of Woodward s lysergic acid synthesis [52]. 

Ackermann employed a different reaction order to meld 1,2-dihaloaryls together with anilines to access a series of carbazoles, including murrayafoline A (Scheme 2, equations 1 and 2) [23]. Jean and colleagues reported a tandem Suzuki/aryl-Heck protocol to prepare functionalized carbazoles and glycosinine (equation 3) [24]. Larock and Liu synthesized a series of carbazoles and the alkaloid muko-nine via an aryl-Heck reaction, which featured an aryne mediated preparation of the requisite diaryl amines [25]. Willis and coworkers reported an indole synthesis involving Heck arylation followed by double bond isomerization (equation 4) [26]. Urabe and colleagues described a similar aryl-Heck indolization from p-bromo-Al-aryl enamines giving 2-alkylindoles [27]. 

In the procedures mentioned for indole synthesis, enamines are the corresponding intermediates which could be prepared by reacting 2-haloanilines with ketones as well. As early as 1984, a copper-mediated indole synthesis from 2-iodoaniline with acetoacetates was developed.In this procedure, acetoacetates were treated with NaH to give enolates before the addition of Cul and 2-iodoaniline. The desired 2,3-disubstituted indoles were isolated in moderate to good yields (Scheme 2.113). In 1999, FeBr2 or hv was reported to promote this reaction as well. Using DMSO as a solvent and KOtBu as a base, the desired indoles were formed in good yields. 

Scheme 8.16 PDDA-Mediated synthesis of indoles from N-aiyl enamines. EWG = electron-withdrawing group.

The best yields of 5-hydroxyindoles are obtained when equimolar amounts of the quinone and enamine are used. An excess of enamine gives rise to non-indolic products derived from reaction of two enamine units and one quinone unit or the product which results from the initial Michael addition of the enamine to the quinone. Use of excess quinone has been reported less frequently, but limited studies indicate no advantage. When 2,5-dichloro-l,4-benzoquinone (32) was treated with a 50% excess of ethyl 3-... 

In the presence of a catalytic amount of concentrated hydrochloric acid, dimethyl 1 -methyl-1 H-l-benzazepine-3,4-dicarboxylate (1) undergoes addition of 1-methylindole, probably via initial protonation of the enaminic 3-position of the benzazepine ring, to give the indolyldihydrobenz-azepine 2.21 In fact, adduct 2 is the major product from the reaction of 1-mcthylindole with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate in acetonitrile. Similar adducts are obtained with indole. 

This new impurity proved to be derived from the Pd-catalyzed oxidation of DIPA to the enamine via P-hydride elimination. In fact, mixing Pd(OAc)2 with DIPA in DMF-d7 readily formed Pd black along with two species, primary amine and acetone, presumably derived from the enamine through hydrolysis. The resulting enamine or acetone then underwent a coupling reaction with iodoaniline 28. Heterocyclization through the arylpalladium(II) species provided 2-methyl indole 71, as shown in Scheme 4.19. 

Since the amine by-product formation was essentially derived from the reaction of an enamine or a ketone with iodoaniline, the direct use of a ketone as the substrate instead of an amine, would also be expected to yield the indole (Scheme 4.21). Indeed, we were gratified to find that direct condensation of o-iodoaniline 24 (77, R, = H) with cyclohexanone (in the presence of 5mol% Pd(OAc)2 and 3 equiv DAB CO as a base at 0.3 M and 105 °C afforded the tetrahydrocarbazole 81a in 77% yield with no other major impurities (Figure 4.4) [5], The use of DMF as a solvent is crucial to the success of this reaction other solvents such as acetonitrile and toluene were ineffective. 

Dihydroantirhine has also been reached from indole alkaloid strictosi-dine (224). Mild hydrolysis of 224, followed by subsequent sodium borohydride and catalytic reduction, supplied vallesiachotamine derivative 225. Hydrolysis and decarboxylation of 225 gave enamine 226, which could be izomerfzed to 227 by the use of acid. Sodium borohydride reduction of the thermodynamically less stable enamine 226 afforded (+)-18,19-dihydroantirhine selectively, while 227 yielded uniformly 3-epi-18,19-dihydroantirhine (203) (144). 

Abstract Aldehydes obtained from olefins under hydroformylation conditions can be converted to more complex reaction products in one-pot reaction sequences. These involve heterofunctionalization of aldehydes to form acetals, aminals, imines and enamines, including reduction products of the latter in an overall hydroaminomethylation. Furthermore, numerous conversions of oxo aldehydes with additional C.C-bond formation are conceivable such as aldol reactions, allylations, carbonyl olefinations, ene reactions and electrophilic aromatic substitutions, including Fischer indole syntheses. 

The definition of aromaticity conceived by Hiickel strictly applies to monocyclic ring systems, but indole, constructed from the fusion of benzene and pyrrole, behaves as an aromatic compound, like quinoline and isoquinoline. The ring fusion, however, affects the properties of both components. This is reflected in the valence bond description of indole, shown in Scheme 7.1, where one canonical representation shows electron density shared between N-1 and C-3 in the pyrrole unit (implying enamine character). Note that although other canonical forms can be drawn, where the lone-pair electrons are delocalized into the benzenoid ring, their energy content is relatively high and they are of limited importance. 

Since then, similar reactions have been reported by different authors examples include the synthesis of quinolines [180] or even pyrroles [181] or enamines from chiral amines [182]. Indoles can also participate in these reactions [183]. 

In addition to preparation of arylhydrazones from the carbonyl compounds and an arylhydrazine, the Japp-Klingemann reaction of arenediazonium ions with enolates and enamines is an important method for preparation of arylhydrazones. This method provides a route to monoarylhydrazones of a-dicarbonyl compounds from /3-keto acids and to the hydrazones of pyruvate esters from / -keto esters. Enamines also give rise to monoarylhydrazones of a-diketones. Indolization of these arylhydrazones provides the expected 2-acyI-or 2-alkoxycarbonyl-indoles (equations 95-97). 

Enamines derived from thiopyran-3-one, although tautomeric, tend to exist predominantly in conjugation with the sulfur atom the Fischer indole reaction, when applied to that ketone, affords solely the systems fused 2,3 on to the thiopyran (Scheme 10) (76CL5). 4-Amino-3,4-dihydro-2Ff-thiopyrans readily eliminate ammonia or amines on heating or treatment with acid, with formation of 2H- thiopyrans <78CR(C)(286)553). 

Selective and efficient Michael additions of heterocyclic enamines (e.g. indoles, pyrroles, and pyrazoles) to enones can be catalysed by ZrCU (2 mol%).150 Michael addition of a - cy an o k e t e n e -. V,. S - ac et al s (RS)2C=CHCN to enones R CH=CHCOR2 can be promoted by TiCl4.151 Addition of the lithium enolate, generated from (2S,5S)- (g) c -l,3-dioxolan-4-one, which in turn was prepared from (S)-mandelic acid and pival-aldehyde, to several 2-arylidene-1,3-diketones, gives the Michael adducts in good yields and diastereoselectivities.152... 

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