Methylindole, synthesis

After copper and palladium, rhodium is the third most important transition metal for the synthesis of the indole ring. For a 2007 review on this reaction, see Patil and Paiil [1], Some early examples (Scheme 1) are Alper s rhodium reaction of 2-aryl-2/7-azirines to give 2-styiylindoles (equation 1) [2], Watanabe s Rh-catalyzed Fischer indole synthesis (equation 2) [3], Ucciani s 3-methylindole synthesis via the hydroformylation of o-nitrostyrene (equation 3) [4], and Burst s preparation of 3-acetyl-2-hydrox-yindoles from the Rh-catalyzed decomposition and carbenoid aromatic C-H bond insertion (equation 4) [5]. Narasaka extended Alper s 2-aryl-2//-azirine reaction to a Rh(II)-catalyzed synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted indoles [6], and both Cenini [7] and Alper [8] stretched the deoxygenation of o-nitrostyrenes to give indoles. Burst s Rh-catalyzed decomposition of a-diazo carbonyl compounds was used by Bauban [9] and Jha [10] in the synthesis of substituted oxindoles. 

The cyclized products 393 can be prepared by the intramolecular coupling of diphenyl ether or diphenylamine(333,334]. The reaction has been applied to the synthesis of an alkaloid 394[335]. The intramolecular coupling of benzoyl-A-methylindole affords 5-methyl-5,10-dihydroindenol[l,2-b]indol-10-one (395) in 60% yield in AcOH[336]. Staurosporine aglycone (396) was prepared by the intramolecular coupling of an indole ring[337]. 

The classical conditions for the Madelung indole synthesis are illustrated by the Organic Syntheses preparation of 2-methylindole which involves heating o-methylacetanilide with sodium amide at 250 C[1]. 

The Madelung Synthesis and Related Base-Catalyzed Condensations. The Madelung cyclization involves an intramolecular condensation of an o-aLkylanilide. A classic example of the Madelung synthesis is the high temperature condensation of o-methylacetanihde [120-66-1] to 2-methylindole [95-20-5] by sodium amide. 

The acid promoted cyclization of AT-(2-chloroallyl)enaminones (Scheme 35a) provides the expected 3-methyltetrahydroindoles, whereas similar treatment of iV-(2-chloroallyl)anilines yields unexpectedly 2-, rather than 3-, methylindoles (Scheme 35b) (75JCS(Pl)U46). The course of the latter cyclization is not resolved although various intermediates, such as those shown, have been considered. The ring closure in the furan synthesis shown in Scheme 35c is catalyzed by mercury(II) ion (79JCs(Pl)316l). 

In 1974, Gassman et al. reported a general method for the synthesis of indoles. For example, aniline 5 was reacted sequentially with r-BuOCl, methylthio-2-propanone 6 and triethylamine to yield methylthioindole 7 in 69% yield. The Raney-nickel mediated desulfurization of 7 then provided 2-methylindole 8 in 79% yield. The scope and mechanism of the process were discussed in the same report by Gassman and coworkers as well. 

As a demonstration of the complete synthesis of a pharmaceutical in an ionic liquid, Pravadoline was selected, as the synthesis combines a Friedel-Crafts reaction and a nucleophilic displacement reaction (Scheme 5.1-24) [53]. The allcylation of 2-methylindole with l-(N-morpholino)-2-chloroethane occurs readily in [BMIM][PF6] and [BMMIM][PF6] (BMMIM = l-butyl-2,3-dimethylimida2olium), in 95-99 % yields, with potassium hydroxide as the base. The Friedel-Crafts acylation step in [BMIM][PF6] at 150 °C occurs in 95 % yield and requires no catalyst. 

Liu, R. Zhang, P. Gan, T. Cook, J. M. Regiospecific bromination of 3-methylindoles with NBS and its application to the concise synthesis of optically active unusual tryptophans present in marine cyclic peptides. J. Org. Chem. 1997, 62, 7447-7456. 

The intramolecular photoelimination of HC1 from JV-chloroacetyl derivatives of suitable amines is a useful and versatile approach to the synthesis of azaheterocycles. The iV-chloroacetyl derivative 357 has been converted in this way to 7-oxodesethylcatharanthine (358) in 55% yield.300 Investigations in this area have been particularly concerned with the A-chloroacetyl derivatives of benzylamines and phenethylamines the N-chloroacetyl-benzylamine 359 on irradiation affords the two 3-oxo-l,2,3,4-tetrahydroiso-quinolines 360 and 361.301 Competing photocyclizations have been observed in the case of l-[3-(chloroacetylamino)propyl]-3-methylindole (362) which is converted into three photoproducts, 363, 364, and 365.302... 

In a synthesis of polyketides, Kocienski crafted indole 78 from 2-iodo-l-methylindole and the appropriate organozinc reagent 77 derived from the corresponding stannane (76), which itself was reluctant to undergo a Stille coupling [106],... 

The application of Heck cyclizations to the synthesis of indoles, indolines, and oxindoles was discovered independently by Mori-Ban s [296-298], and Heck s groups [299]. These investigators found that Pd can effect the cyclization of o-halo-lV-allylanilines to indoles under Heck conditions [300], The cyclization of o-halo-/V-allylanilines to indojes is a general and efficient methodology, especially with the Larock improvements where he cyclized o-halo-W-allylanilines and o-halo-N-acryloylanilides into indoles and oxindoles [301]. For example, the conversion of 279 to 280 can be performed at lower temperature, shorter reaction time, and with less catalyst to give 3-methylindole (280) in 97% yield. Larock s improved conditions, which have been widely adopted, are catalytic (2%) Pd(OAc)2, n-Bu4NCl, DMF, base (usually... 

Related Pd-cyclizations have been applied to the synthesis of 3-carboethoxy-2-trifluoromethylindoles [367, 368] and 2-carbobenzyloxy-4-hydroxymethyl-3-methylindoles, a unit that is present in the antibiotic nosiheptide, from a 2-(2-iodoanilino) unsaturated ester [369]. A nice variation utilizes the in situ synthesis of 2-iodoanilino enamines and subsequent cyclization [370] as shown below. 

Prior to his work with internal alkynes, Larock found that o-thallated acetanilide undergoes Pd-catalyzed reactions with vinyl bromide and allyl chloride to give (V-acetylindole and N-acetyl-2-methylindole each in 45% yield [409]. In an extension to reactions of internal alkynes with imines of o-iodoaniline, Larock reported a concise synthesis of isoindolo[2,l-a]indoles 313 and 314 [410]. The regioselectivity was excellent with unsymmetrical alkynes. 

Experiment. E. Fischer s Indole Synthesis.—Mix 2 g. of phenylhydrazine with 2 c.c. of acetone in a test tube. Water is eliminated and a turbidity appears. Suspend the tube in the boiling water bath for forty-five minutes, then add 6 g. of dry zinc chloride and heat the mixture for a few minutes with stirring in an oil bath at 180°. Now wash the dark-coloured melt into a small round-bottomed flask with four volumes of dilute hydrochloric acid and separate the resultant a-methylindole by distillation with steam. The substance collects as an oil which soon solidifies. After drying crystallise it from a little petrol ether. Melting point 59°. 

Direct Sj UAr) substitution reactions allow syntheses of isoquinolines (Beugelmans et al. 1984), indoles (Beugelmans and Roussi 1979, Barolo et al. 2003), and derivatives of benzothiazole (Boujlel et al. 1982), benzothiazine (Layman et al. 2005), or benzofurane (Vaillard et al. 2002) by one-pot syntheses. The photoinitiated synthesis of 2-methylindole is a representative example depicted in Scheme 7.36. 

Later, independently, different anionic indolo-2,3-quinodimethanes which exhibit pronounced diene reactivity were developed from 2-cyano-l-methylindole-3-acetonitrile (537) (518,519) and l,2-dimethylindole-3-carboxaldehyde (539) (520) by reacting with strong base. These quinodimethanes were used in the synthesis of polyfunctionalized carbazole derivatives (538 and 541) (Scheme 5.15). 

Miki and Hachiken reported a total synthesis of murrayaquinone A (107) using 4-benzyl-l-ferf-butyldimethylsiloxy-4fT-furo[3,4-f>]indole (854) as an indolo-2,3-quinodimethane equivalent for the Diels-Alder reaction with methyl acrylate (624). 4-Benzyl-3,4-dihydro-lfT-furo[3,4-f>]indol-l-one (853), the precursor for the 4H-furo[3,4-f>]indole (854), was prepared in five steps and 30% overall yield starting from dimethyl indole-2,3-dicarboxylate (851). Alkaline hydrolysis of 851 followed by N-benzylation of the dicarboxylic acid with benzyl bromide and sodium hydride in DMF, and treatment of the corresponding l-benzylindole-2,3-dicarboxylic acid with trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) gave the anhydride 852. Reduction of 852 with sodium borohydride, followed by lactonization of the intermediate 2-hydroxy-methylindole-3-carboxylic acid with l-methyl-2-chloropyridinium iodide, led to the lactone 853. The lactone 853 was transformed to 4-benzyl-l-ferf-butyldimethylsiloxy-4H-furo[3,4- 7]indole 854 by a base-induced silylation. Without isolation, the... 

Selenium has now been added to the growing list of transition metals shown capable of catalyzing the reductive A/-heterocyclization of 2-nitrostyrenes to indoles with carbon monoxide <99TL5717>. Utilizing the palladium-phosphine catalyzed methodology, Soderberg achieved the synthesis of several 4-substituted 2-methylindole natural products isolated from TricMoma... 

SYNTHESIS A solution of 4.78 g 2-methylindole-3-carboxaldehyde in 18 mL of nitroethane was treated with 0.77 g anhydrous ammonium acetate and heated on the steam bath for 2 h. The excess nitroethane was removed under vacuum and the residual orange-red solids were removed and washed with H20. After drying these were triturated under 25 mL MeOH, filtered and air-dried to constant weight. There was thus obtained 3.8 g (59%) of 1-(2-methylindol-3-yl)-2-nitropropene with a mp 146-148 °C. 

SYNTHESIS To a stirred solution of 7.16 g of 1-(p-chlorobenzoyl)-5-methoxy-2-methylindole-3-acetic acid (indomethacin) in 150 mL CHCI3 there was added, dropwise, 4.4 mL oxalyl chloride and the reaction mixture held under reflux conditions for 2.5 h. Removal of the solvent under vacuum produced a thick yellow oil which was dissolved in 150 mL of CH2CI2. There was then added, in small portions, 40% aqueous dimethylamine until the aqueous phase remained basic to pH paper. The phases were separated, and the organic phase was washed sequentially with H20, dilute HCI, and finally saturated saline, then stripped of solvent under vacuum. 

Pyrroles and furans also undergo the Gattermann aldehyde synthesis with HC1 and HCN, furan gives furfuraldehyde and 2-methylindole gives 2-methylindole-3-carboxaldehyde. The Houben-Hoesch ketone synthesis is also applicable to the preparation of acyl derivatives of furans and pyrroles, e.g. ethyl 2,4-dimethylpyrrole-3-carboxylate with MeCN and HC1 yields (81). 

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