Methoxyindoles

The above product (24 g, 0.067 mol) was dissolved in 90 10 dioxane-water (300 ml) and sodium borohydride (92.5 g, 0.067 mol) was added. The mixture was refluxed for 4h. The cooled solution was poured into 0.1 N HCl (1.11). A solid precipitated and was collected by filtration, dried and recrystallized from ether hexane to give 6,7-dibromo-4-methoxyindole (18.5 g, 90%). 

A solution of benzyl 5-methoxyindole-3-propanoate (26Og, 0.084mol) in... 

A solution of l,3-dimethyl-5-methoxyindole (4.5 g, 0.026 mol) in DMSO (27 ml) was maintained at as cone. HCl (23 ml, 0.77 mol) was added dropwise over 15 min. Stirring was continued for 3 h at room temperature and the reaction mixture was then poured into ice-watcr (100 ml). The mixture was neutralized vvith NaHCOj to pH 7 and extracted with EtOAc (100 ml x 2). The EtOAc was removed in vacuo and the residue purified by chromatography on silica using hexane-EtOAc (7 3) for elution. The yield was 4.35 g (88%). 

Another naturally occurring nucleoside antibiotic SF-2140 [93207-27-3] C H2qN20, a 3-cyanomethyl-4-methoxyindole nucleoside (55) is found to... 

DMSO, NaCN, 125-180°, 5-48 h, 65-90% yield.This cleavage reaction is successful for aromatic systems containing ketones, amides, and carboxylic acids mixtures are obtained from nitro-substituted aromatic compounds there is no reaction with 5-methoxyindole (180°, 48 h). 

Addition of the alcohol 42 to a solution of BF3 Et20/TMSCN in DCM provided the nitrile 43 in 83% yield. Hydrolysis of nitrile 43 then furnished amide 44 in 85% yield. Demethylation of the methoxyindole 44 with BBra in DCM provided the hydroxyindole 45 in 80% yield. This was followed by alkylation of 45 with the bromide 46 under phase transfer conditions to provide the phosphonate ester 47 and subsequent cleavage of the methyl ester by TMS-I furnished trimethylsilyl phosphonic acid 48, which upon alcoholic workup afforded LY311727. 

Akabori and Saito obtained 6-methoxy-3-indolylacetonitrile (231) from 6-methoxyindole and chloroacetonitrile by the Grignard reaction/ and Wieland et al. prepared 5 methoxy-3-indolylaceto-... 

B. 1-Hydroxy- and 1-Methoxyindoles Cairying an Electi on-Withdrawing Group... 

On the other hand, an electron-donating substituent destabilizes the 1-hydroxy-indole structure, often to the extent that it cannot be isolated. Even in such a case, alkylation of the 1-hydroxy group greatly improves the stability. Among alkylations, methylation is the best choice. This fact explains why every isolated natural product has a 1-methoxyindole structure (91YGK205, 99H1157). 

Ishikura and co-workers (95H2437) have extended the scope of this reaction, combining our results with their borate chemistry. Thus, the reaction of 2-lithio-l-methoxyindole (72), prepared from 1-methoxyindole (71) and -BuLi (92H1285, 92H1295, 94H31), with triethylborane generates an indolylborate 73 in situ (Scheme 11). Subsequent treatment of 73 with aqueous NaOH and 30%... 

They have also developed a route to 2-allenylindole derivatives (98T13929). When prop-2-ynyl carbonates (76) are reacted with 73 in the presence of palladium catalyst, a cross-coupling reaction occurs to give 77a (46%) and 77b (45%). Under a pressurized carbon monoxide atmosphere (10 atm), the palladium-catalyzed reaction of 73 with 78 provides 79a (60%) and 79b (60%) (2000H2201). In a similar reaction, when the substrate is changed to aryl halides (80), 2-aryl-1-methoxyindoles such as 81a (70%) and 81b (60%) are prepared (97H2309). 

Acheson and co-workers [78JCS(P1)1117, 80AX(B)3125] reported the synthesis of 3-acetyl-1-methoxyindole (107, 42%) from 1-methoxyindole (71) by applying Vilsmeier-Haack reaction using Ai,V-dimethylacetamide. We repeated the reaction, but in our hands, the yield was lower (around 14%) (Scheme 16). 

In fact, iodination of methyl l-methoxyindole-3-carboxylate (109), a wasabi phytoalexin (98P1959), with KI and NaI04 (60LA84, 911OC5903) in TFA-HjO provides methyl 5-iodo-l-methoxyindole-3-carboxylate (110,72%) predominantly... 

Methylindole and 5-methoxyindole are also found to function as nucleophiles in this unique reaction, providing 163 (65%) and 164 (50%), respectively (2002H). 

Pedras and co-workers (98P1959) isolated a phytoalexin from Wasabi (Wasabia japonica, syn. Eutrema wasabi) and determined its structure to be methyl l-methoxyindole-3-carboxylate (109) (Scheme 38). Compound 109 had already been synthesized by Acheson and co-workers [78JCS(P1)1117] in ten steps from o-nitroaniline. Pedras and co-workers (98P1959) combined our tungstate method and Acheson s work, and synthesized 109 in 9% overall yield but in an impure state. 

These types of compounds are expected to be produced by utilizing nucleophile substitution reaction at the 2 position of l-methoxyindole-3-carbaldehyde (115a) and 3-acetyl-1-methoxyindole (107). In practice, after conversion of 115a to 195a (53%) as described in Section IV.J, 195a is allowed to react with various amines. Consequently, many derivatives of 271 are obtained. Typical examples (271a-c) are shown in the scheme (99H1157). 

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