Indoles selective reduction

A remarkably simple fused indole devoid of the traditional side chains is described as an antidepressant agent. Michael addition of the anion from indole ester 119 to acrylonitrile affords the cyanide 120. Selective reduction of the nitrile leads to the ami noester 121. This is then cyclized to the lactam (122). Reduction of the... 

The key intermediates 692 required for the thermal cyclization were prepared from the readily available indole-2,3-diones 693. The condensation of 693 with 3-methyl-4-phenylbut-3-en-2-one (694) afforded the 3-hydroxy derivatives 695. The dehydration of 695, followed by selective reduction of the 3,1 -double bond of compounds 696, provided the 3-alkyl derivative 697. Finally, the compounds 697 were transformed to the 3-(l,3-butadienyl)indoles 692 by reaction with an excess of ethyl chloroformate (Scheme 5.62). 

Selective reduction of indole in the benzene ring can be achieved by treatment with lithium in liquid ammonia, which gives a mixture of the 4,7-dihydro and 4,5,6,7-tetrahydro derivatives. 

Selective reduction of a double bond in the indole nucleus of melatonin using NaBHaCN/CFsCOOH system resulted as 2,3-dihydromelatonin (Fig. 20) with improved antioxidant activity in the model of quenching of DPPH radical as well as in lipoperoxidation induced by the system Fe/ascorbate in rat brain homogenates [144],... 

The synthesis commenced with a site-selective Heck-Sonogashira coupling of the easily prepared indole 174 and known alkyne 175. Selective reduction of the resulting alkyne 176 to the corresponding cis olefin followed by a two-step... 

In the first route (Scheme 4), indoUne (5) is nitrated to 6-nitro-2,3-dUiydroindole (22, 92%). Apphcation of the tungstate method to 22 and subsequent methylation provide l-methoxy-6-nitroindole (9, 77%) via 8a. A Vilsmeier-Haack reaction (94%), followed by nitroaldol reaction (85%), leads 9 to l-methoxy-6-nitro-3-(2-nitrovinyl)indole (23) through 1-methoxy-6-nitroindole-3-carbaldehyde (10b). After selective reduction of the nitro-vinyl part of 23 with NaBH4, the resultant l-methoxy-6-nitro-3-(2-nitro-ethyl)indole (24,84%) is treated with Zn/HCl and then AC2O to give 21 (81%). Reduction of 24 with Zn/AcOH produces 6-amino-l-methoxytryptamine (25, 30%). 

LY311727 is an indole acetic acid based selective inhibitor of human non-pancreatic secretory phospholipase A2 (hnpsPLA2) under development by Lilly as a potential treatment for sepsis. The synthesis of LY311727 involved a Nenitzescu indolization reaction as a key step. The Nenitzescu condensation of quinone 4 with the p-aminoacrylate 39 was carried out in CH3NO2 to provide the desired 5-hydroxylindole 40 in 83% yield. Protection of the 5-hydroxyl moiety in indole 40 was accomplished in H2O under phase transfer conditions in 80% yield. Lithium aluminum hydride mediated reduction of the ester functional group in 41 provided the alcohol 42 in 78% yield. 

In recent years, the importance of aliphatic nitro compounds has greatly increased, due to the discovery of new selective transformations. These topics are discussed in the following chapters Stereoselective Henry reaction (chapter 3.3), Asymmetric Micheal additions (chapter 4.4), use of nitroalkenes as heterodienes in tandem [4+2]/[3+2] cycloadditions (chapter 8) and radical denitration (chapter 7.2). These reactions discovered in recent years constitute important tools in organic synthesis. They are discussed in more detail than the conventional reactions such as the Nef reaction, reduction to amines, synthesis of nitro sugars, alkylation and acylation (chapter 5). Concerning aromatic nitro chemistry, the preparation of substituted aromatic compounds via the SNAr reaction and nucleophilic aromatic substitution of hydrogen (VNS) are discussed (chapter 9). Preparation of heterocycles such as indoles, are covered (chapter 10). 

After its isolation, the structure of alkaloid deplancheine (7) was unambiguously proved by several total syntheses. In one of the first approaches (14), 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative 161, obtained by sodium dithionite reduction of A-[2-(indol-3-yl)ethyl]pyridinium salt 160, was cyclized in acidic medium to yield quinolizidine derivative 162. Upon refluxing 162 with hydrochloric acid, hydrolysis and decarboxylation took place. In the final step of the synthesis, the conjugated iminium salt 163 was selectively reduced to racemic deplancheine. 

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). 

The double bond in indole and its homologs and derivatives is reduced easily and selectively by catalytic hydrogenation over platinum oxide in ethanol and fluoroboric acid [456], by sodium borohydride [457], by sodium cyanoborohydride [457], by borane [458,459], by sodium in ammonia [460], by lithium [461] and by zinc [462]. Reduction with sodium borohydride in acetic acid can result in alkylation on nitrogen giving JV-ethylindoline [457]. 

A Although it would be possible to convert 3-bromo-4-melhylani-line (7.2) into the corresponding hydrazine, by diazotization and reduction, react it with cyclohexanone, and then subject the product hydrazone to a Fischer indolization, the bromine substituent would still remain in the indole (note two isomers would form). Of course, this substituent could be displaced reductively using tributyltin hydride and a radical initiator [AIBN, azobis(isobuty-ronitrile)], but the overall synthesis is clumsy and non-selective and there should be a simpler route. 

In this paper, the selectivity of the ECH method for the reduction of nitro compounds to the corresponding amines on RCu electrodes will be compared with that of reduction by RCu alloy powder in alkaline aqueous ethanol. In the latter method (termed chemical catalytic hydrogenation (CCH)), chemisorbed hydrogen is generated in situ but by reduction of water by aluminium (by leaching of the alloy) (equation [12]). The reductions by in situ leaching must be carried out in a basic medium in order to ensure the conversion of insoluble Al(OH)3 into soluble aluminate (equation [12]). The selectivity and efficiency of the electrochemical reduction of 5-nitro-indoles, -benzofurane, and -benzothiophene at RCu electrodes in neutral and alkaline aqueous ethanol will also be compared with that of the classical reduction with zinc in acidic medium. 

A rather more complex tertracyclic indole based compound lowers blood pressure by selective blockade of a 1-adrenergic receptors. Reaction of the anion from indole (72-1) with butyrolactone (72-2) leads to the scission of the carbon-oxygen bond in the reagent and the formation of the alkylated product (72-3). The acid is then cyclized onto the adjacent 2 position to give the ketone (72-4) by treatment with a Lewis acid such as polyphosphoric acid. Reaction with bromine then leads to the brominated ketone (72-5). This is subjected to reductive alkylation with ethylene... 

Reduction of nitriles and amides.1 These compounds are selectively reduced to the corresponding amines by this metal hydride in refluxing methylene chloride. Under the same conditions indoles can be reduced to indolenes in moderate yield. 

Indole derivatives have been prepared by reaction of 2-bromoanilines with enamines in the presence of palladium(II) acetate127, reductive cyclization onto a nitro group128, or by the same type of cycloaddition that allows the synthesis of benzofuranols (see above) but using / -quinone diimides129. An example of an application of this latter method is the regioselective nucleophilic addition of 1-piperidino-l-propene (245) to the selectively activated AT4-(phenylsulfonyl)-p-quinone diimide 244 (equation 51)130. Fur-... 

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