Indoles preparation from

One type of o-aminobenzyl anion synthon is a mixed Cu/Zn reagent which can be prepared from o-toluidines by / i.s-trimethylsilylation on nitrogen, benzylic bromination and reaction with Zn and CuCN[l]. Reaction of these reagents with acyl halides gives 2-substituted indoles. 

Gassman and co-workers developed a synthetic route from anilines to indoles and oxindoles which involves [2.3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of anilinosul-fonium ylides. These can be prepared from Ai-chloroanilines and ot-thiomcthyl-ketones or from an aniline and a chlorosulfonium salt[l]. The latter sequence is preferable for anilines with ER substituents. Rearrangement and cyclizalion occurs on treatment of the anilinosulfonium salts with EtjN. The initial cyclization product is a 3-(methylthio)indole and these can be desulfurized with Raney nickel. Use of 2-(methylthio)acetaldehyde generates 2,3-unsubstituled indoles after desulfurization[2]. Treatment of 3-methylthioindoles with tri-fiuoroacetic acid/thiosalieylie acid is a possible alternative to Raney nickel for desulfurization[3]. 

Indol-2-ylcopper reagents can also be prepared from 2-lithioindoles and they have some potential for the preparation of 2-substituted indoles. 1-Methyl-indol-2-ylcopper can be prepared by reaction of 2-lithio-l-methylindole with CuBr[10]. It reacts with aryl iodides to give 2-aryl-1-methylindoles. Mixed cyanocuprate reagents can be prepared using CuCN[ll], The cyan-ocuprate from 1-methylindole reacts with allyl bromide to give 2-allyl-l-methylindole. 

A 20% excess of ethylmagnesium bromide was prepared from magnesium (6.5 g) in ether (80 ml) by adding ethyl bromide (30 g) in ether (30 ml). Indole (25.8 g) in benzene (50 ml) was then added slowly with stirring and stirring was continued for 20 min after addition was complete. A solution of allyl bromide (29.2 g) in benzene (20 ml) was then added slowly. The mixture was stirred overnight and then diluted with ether and the product isolated and purified by distillation (22.7 g, 70% yield). 

Tryptamines can also be prepared from gramine via indole-3-acetonitriles. This procedure was found advanta ous for C-ha o tryptamines[9]. 

Better results have been obtained using the 3-(2-pyrrolidinylidene)indolenine intermediate 13.3A which can be prepared from indole-3-carboxaldehyde and pyrrolidine[16]. 

Substituted indoles can be prepared from o-bromo or o-iodoanilines by paHadium-cataly2ed cycli2ation of AJ-aHyl derivatives (31). 

Unsaturated hydrazones, unsaturated diazonium salts or hydrazones of 2,3,5-triketones can be used as suitable precursors for the formation of pyridazines in this type of cyclization reaction. As shown in Scheme 61, pyridazines are obtainable in a single step by thermal cyclization of the tricyanohydrazone (139), prepared from cyanoacetone phenylhydrazone and tetracyanoethylene (76CB1787). Similarly, in an attempted Fischer indole synthesis the hydrazone of the cyano compound (140) was transformed into a pyridazine (Scheme 61)... 

A mild and effective method for obtaining N- acyl- and N- alkyl-pyrroles and -indoles is to carry out these reactions under phase-transfer conditions (80JOC3172). For example, A-benzenesulfonylpyrrole is best prepared from pyrrole under phase-transfer conditions rather than by intermediate generation of the potassium salt (81TL4901). In this case the softer nature of the tetraalkylammonium cation facilitates reaction on nitrogen. The thallium salts of indoles prepared by reaction with thallium(I) ethoxide, a benzene-soluble liquid. 

Sulfonamides (R2NSO2R ) are prepared from an amine and sulfonyl chloride in the presence of pyridine or aqueous base. The sulfonamide is one of the most stable nitrogen protective groups. Arylsulfonamides are stable to alkaline hydrolysis, and to catalytic reduction they are cleaved by Na/NH3, Na/butanol, sodium naphthalenide, or sodium anthracenide, and by refluxing in acid (48% HBr/cat. phenol). Sulfonamides of less basic amines such as pyrroles and indoles are much easier to cleave than are those of the more basic alkyl amines. In fact, sulfonamides of the less basic amines (pyrroles, indoles, and imidazoles) can be cleaved by basic hydrolysis, which is almost impossible for the alkyl amines. Because of the inherent differences between the aromatic — NH group and simple aliphatic amines, the protection of these compounds (pyrroles, indoles, and imidazoles) will be described in a separate section. One appealing proj>erty of sulfonamides is that the derivatives are more crystalline than amides or carbamates. 

Pyrroles and indoles can be protected with the r-butyldimethylsilyl group by treatment with TBDMSCl and n-BuLi or NaH. Triisopropylsilyl chloride (NaH, DMF, 0°-rt, 73% yield) has been used to protect the pyrrole nitrogen in order to direct electrophilic attack to the 3-position.It has also been used to protect an indole.This derivative can be prepared from the silyl chloride and The silyl protective group is cleaved with Bu4N F , THF, rt or with CF3COOH. 

This derivative has been prepared from an indole, the chloromethyl ether, and potassium hydride in 50% yield it is cleaved in 84% yield by potassium cyanide/ 18-crown-6 in refluxing acetonitrile/ ... 

Methylindole has been prepared from the a5-methylphenyl-hydrazone of pyruvic acid, by the action of sodium amide or sodium hydride on indole followed by methyl iodide at elevated temperatures,by treatment of indole with methyl p-toluene-sulfonatc and anhydrous sodium carbonate in boiling xylene, and by the action of inelhyl sulfate on indole previously treated... 

A trifluoromethylsulfonamide can be prepared from a primary amine to allow monoalkylation of that amine. The triflamide is not stable to strong base, which causes elimination to an imine, but when used to protect an indole, it is cleaved with K2CO3 in refluxing methanol. ... 

Coe et al. reported an efficient modification for the preparation of /-substituted indole analogs for biology screening in good yield. The intermediate P-nitrostyrene 44, prepared from the condensation of 43 with DMFDMA, underwent methanolysis and reduction to provide the aniline acetal intermediate 45. Alkylation of amine 45 was carried out employing standard conditions of reductive alkylation to provide A-alkyl analogs represented by 46. The indole 47 was generated by formation of the oxonium ion (from 46) under acidic conditions, followed by cyclization, accompanied by loss of methanol. 

The aniline derivative 332, prepared from 2-fluoro-6-nitrotoluene, was transformed through successive reactions as shown in Scheme 60 to give the functionalized indole 333. It was then reduced with LiAlH4 to the dimethylaminopropyl derivative which was quaternized with Mel to the trimethyl ammonium salt 334. Subsequent cyclization and functionalization afforded the pyrroloquinoline 335. The latter could be transformed to the tetracyclic acid 336 (90JHC2151). (Scheme 60)... 

As discussed in Chapter 6, nitro compounds are converted into amines, oximes, or carbonyl compounds. They serve as usefid starting materials for the preparation of various heterocyclic compounds. Especially, five-membered nitrogen heterocycles, such as pyrroles, indoles, ind pyrrolidines, are frequently prepared from nitro compounds. Syntheses of heterocyclic compounds using nitro compounds are described partially in Chapters 4, 6 and 9. This chapter focuses on synthesis of hetero-aromadcs fmainly pyrroles ind indolesi ind saturated nitrogen heterocycles such as pyrrolidines ind their derivadves. 

The previously unknown 2-nitroindoles have been conveniently prepared from o-nitroben-zaldehyde via the Sundberg indole synthesis fEq 10 61 ... 

Tm-mediated-radical cyclizadon of isonitnles provides a usefid strategy for the preparadon of indoles (Tukuyama reacdoni This radical cyclizadon is used for synthesis of 6-hydroxy-indole-3-acetic acid, which is thearomadc subunit of Nephdatoxin The reqidsite isotdtnles are prepared from rdtroarenes via amines fEq 10 66 ... 

A similar synthesis starting with l-(2-nitrobenzyl)pyrrol-2-aldehyde used ethanol-ethyl acetate as solvent (62). Indoles are prepared in excellent yield by hydrogenation of o-nitrobenzyl ketones over Pd-on-C (i). Azaindoles are correspondingly prepared from nitropyridines (97). 

There have been few reports of indole fluorination. 2-Methylindole was largely destroyed by cobalt(V) fluoride treatment, giving perfluorocyclo-hexane and perfluoromethylcyclohexane among the products [70MI2 72HC(25-2)127]. 4-Fluoro-3-indoleacetonitriles have been prepared from the diazonium fluoroborates (85CPB3696). 

Indole systan 168 has been prepared from a ring closure reaction of dihydroisoqui-noline derivative 167 catalysed by a NHC-Pd system (Scheme 5.44) [49], The product 168 was prepared from an intramolecular Buchwald-Hartwig coupling and was used in the total synthesis of rac-mangochinine 169. 

Eventually, indole acetic acid 2 was prepared from iodoaniline 28 and propargyl alcohol derivative 61 via the newly developed coupling reaction followed by a cyanide displacement-hydrolysis sequence, as shown in Scheme 4.16. 

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