Metalation indoles

Concerning non-metallic compounds, the antiknocking properties of nitrogen compounds such that derivatives of aniline, indole and quinoline, and certain phenol derivatives have been mentioned. 

The development of methods for aromatic substitution based on catalysis by transition metals, especially palladium, has led to several new methods for indole synthesis. One is based on an intramolecular Heck reaction in which an... 

There are a wide variety of methods for introduction of substituents at C3. Since this is the preferred site for electrophilic substitution, direct alkylation and acylation procedures are often effective. Even mild electrophiles such as alkenes with EW substituents can react at the 3-position of the indole ring. Techniques for preparation of 3-lithioindoles, usually by halogen-metal exchange, have been developed and this provides access not only to the lithium reagents but also to other organometallic reagents derived from them. The 3-position is also reactive toward electrophilic mercuration. 

Because Pd(II) salts, like Hgtll) salts, can effect electrophilic metallation of the indole ring at C3, it is also possible to carry out vinylation on indoles without 3-substituents. These reactions usually require the use of an equiv. of the Pd(ll) salt and also a Cu(If) or Ag(I) salt to effect reoxidation of the Pd. As in the standard Heck conditions, an EW substitution on the indole nitrogen is usually necessary. Entry 8 of Table 11.3 is an interesting example. The oxidative vinylation was achieved in 87% yield by using one equiv. of PdfOAcfj and one equiv. of chloranil as a co-oxidant. This example is also noteworthy in that the 4-broino substituent was unreactive under these conditions. Part B of Table 11.3 lists some other representative procedures. 

A traditional method for such reductions involves the use of a reducing metal such as zinc or tin in acidic solution. Examples are the procedures for preparing l,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazole[l] or ethyl 2,3-dihydroindole-2-carbox-ylate[2] (Entry 3, Table 15.1), Reduction can also be carried out with acid-stable hydride donors such as acetoxyborane[4] or NaBHjCN in TFA[5] or HOAc[6]. Borane is an effective reductant of the indole ring when it can complex with a dialkylamino substituent in such a way that it can be delivered intramolecularly[7]. Both NaBH -HOAc and NaBHjCN-HOAc can lead to N-ethylation as well as reduction[8]. This reaction can be prevented by the use of NaBHjCN with temperature control. At 20"C only reduction occurs, but if the temperature is raised to 50°C N-ethylation occurs[9]. Silanes cun also be used as hydride donors under acidic conditions[10]. Even indoles with EW substituents, such as ethyl indole-2-carboxylate, can be reduced[ll,l2]. 

Ethyl indole-2-carboxylate (45.2 g, 0.238 mmol) was dissolved in abs. EtOH (450 ml) in a 11 polyethylene container and cooled in a dry icc-cthanol bath. The solution was saturated with dry HCl gas until the volume increased to 875 ml, Granular tin metal (84.2g, 0.7l0mmol) was added to the slurry and... 

Transition-Metal Catalyzed Cyclizations. o-Halogenated anilines and anilides can serve as indole precursors in a group of reactions which are typically cataly2ed by transition metals. Several catalysts have been developed which convert o-haloanilines or anilides to indoles by reaction with acetylenes. An early procedure involved coupling to a copper acetyUde with o-iodoaniline. A more versatile procedure involves palladium catalysis of the reaction of an o-bromo- or o-trifluoromethylsulfonyloxyanihde with a triaLkylstaimylalkyne. The reaction is conducted in two stages, first with a Pd(0) and then a Pd(II) catalyst (29). 

Methylthiophene is metallated in the 5-position whereas 3-methoxy-, 3-methylthio-, 3-carboxy- and 3-bromo-thiophenes are metallated in the 2-position (80TL5051). Lithiation of tricarbonyl(i7 -N-protected indole)chromium complexes occurs initially at C-2. If this position is trimethylsilylated, subsequent lithiation is at C-7 with minor amounts at C-4 (81CC1260). Tricarbonyl(Tj -l-triisopropylsilylindole)chromium(0) is selectively lithiated at C-4 by n-butyllithium-TMEDA. This offers an attractive intermediate for the preparation of 4-substituted indoles by reaction with electrophiles and deprotection by irradiation (82CC467). 

Birch reduction of indole with lithium metal in THF in the presence of trimethylsilyl chloride followed by oxidation with p-benzoquinone gave l,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)indoIe (106). This is readily converted in two steps into l-acetyl-4-trimethylsilylindole. Friedel-Crafts acylation of the latter compound in the presence of aluminum chloride yields the corresponding 4-acylindole (107) (82CC636). 

In small portions, just sufficient to maintain the blue color, 5.0 g. (0.22 gram atom) of clean, metallic sodium is added with vigorous stirring. After dissolution is complete (Note 3), a solution of 23.4 g. (0.20 mole) of indole (Note 4) in 50 ml. of anhydrous ether is added slowly and then, after an additional 10 minutes, a solution of 31.2 g. (0.22 mole) of methyl iodide in an equal volume of anhydrous ether is added dropwise. Stirring is continued for a further 15 minutes. Fhe ammonia is allowed to evaporate (Note 5), 100 ml. of water is added, followed by 100... 

The in situ generation of the carbon dioxide adduct of an indole provides sufficient protection and activation of an indole for metalation at C-2 with r-butyl-lithium. The lithium reagent can be quenched with an electrophile, and quenching of the reaction with water releases the carbon dioxide. ... 

Sebastian also observed that although alkylation of the indole Grignard reagent with methyl iodide in tetrahydrofuran at 23° gave essentially 3-methylindolc, variable amounts of 1- and 3-methyl-indole were obtained on alkylation of the alkali metal salts of indole under similar conditions. Sebastian s results were qualitatively similar to those obtained earlier by Lerner and more recently by Cardillo who studied the reaction of a number of organometalhc... 

The reactivity of the 1-methyl group and of corresponding positions (i.e., a-carbon atoms) in other l-alkyl-j8-carbolines, analogous to that in a-picoline, quinaldine, and isoquinaldine, is due to the acidity of this center. Deprotonation yields a resonance-stabilized anion (288) which reacts readily with electrophilic reagents. Metallation with phenyl-lithium of the 1-methyl group of a l-methyl-j8-carboline derivative in which the indole nitrogen is protected, first described by Woodward... 

The fourth chapter of this volume comprises the second part of an ongoing series by Professor A. P. Sadimenko (Fort Hare University, South Africa) dealing with organometallic compounds of pyrrole, indole, carbazole, phospholes, siloles, and boroles. This follows the review in Volume 78 of Advances covering organometallic compounds of thiophene and furan. The enormous recent advances in this area are summarized and classified according to the nature of the heterocycle and of the metals. 

Preparation of bromoindoles by replacement of metallic substituents have included oxidation of indolylmagnesium bromide by p-nitrobenzoic acid to give 3-bromoindole (67BSF1294), thallation procedures (illustrated in Scheme 18 also applied to the synthesis of chloroindoles) [85H(23)3113 86H(24)3065 87CPB3146, 87H(26)2817 89H(29)1163], and the use of lithium derivatives. The thallation reactions provide access particularly to 4- and 7-bromoindoles. Quenching the protected 2-lithium derivative of indole with 1,2-dibromotetrachloroethane gave an 87% yield of 2-bromoindole (92JOC2495). 

Remarkably, one year later Leadbeater described that biaryls can be synthesized via a Suzuki-type coupling under transition-metal free conditions [51, 52]. The reaction conditions were almost identical to those reported for the ligand-free process, with the difference being that a larger amoimt of Na2C03 and arylboronic acid were used. Only one successful example of a heteroaryl haUde substrate is shown namely, the coupling of 2-bromopyridine with phenylboronic acid (Scheme 32). 3-Bromothiophene did not couple under the same reaction conditions. Unfortimately, attempts to use heteroarylboronic acids such as 3-pyridinylboronic acid, 3-thienylboronic acid, and lH-indol-5-ylboronic acid on 4-bromoacetophenone completely failed. 

AT-acetyltryptamines could be obtained via microwave-assisted transition-metal-catalyzed reactions on resin bound 3-[2-(acetylamino)ethyl]-2-iodo-lH-indole-5-carboxamide. While acceptable reaction conditions for the application of microwave irradiation have been identified for Stille heteroaryla-tion reactions, the related Suzuki protocol on the same substrate gave poor results, since at a constant power of 60 W, no full conversion (50-60%) of resin-bound 3-[2-(acetylamino)ethyl]-2-iodo-lH-indole-5-carboxamide could be obtained even when two consecutive cross-coupling reaction cycles (involving complete removal of reagents and by-products by washing off the resin) were used (Scheme 36). Also under conventional heating at 110 °C, and otherwise identical conditions, the Suzuki reactions proved to be difficult since two cross-coupling reaction cycles of 24 h had to be used to achieve full conversion. 

When arylhydrazones of aldehydes or ketones are treated with a catalyst, elimination of ammonia takes place and an indole is formed, in the Fischer indole synthesis,Zinc chloride is the catalyst most frequently employed, but dozens of others, including other metal halides, proton and Lewis acids, and certain transition metals have also been used. Microwave irradiation has been used to facilitate this reaction. Aniline derivatives react with a-diazoketones, in the presence of a... 

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