Negishi coupling indoles

In continuation of his extraordinarily versatile and efficient directed-metalation technology, Snieckus employed indole 87 to selectively lithiate C-4 and to effect a Negishi coupling with 3-bromopyridine to give 88 in 90% yield [110]. In contrast, a Suzuki protocol gave 88 in only 19% yield (with loss of the TBS group). 

Both vinyl- and aryl triflates have been cross-coupled with 2-furylzinc chloride [26-28]. Since vinyl triflates are easily obtained from the corresponding ketones, they are useful substrates in Pd-catalyzed reactions. In the following example, a Negishi coupling of 2-furylzinc chloride and indol-5-yl triflate (22) provided an expeditious entry to 2-(5 -indolyl)furan (23). Protection of the NH in the indole ring was not required. A similar reaction was successful with pyridyl- and quinolinyl triflates. 

In conclusion, the fantastically diverse chemistry of indole has been significantly enriched by palladium-catalyzed reactions. The accessibility of all of the possible halogenated indoles and several indolyl triflates has resulted in a wealth of synthetic applications as witnessed by the length of this chapter. In addition to the standard Pd-catalyzed reactions such as Negishi, Suzuki, Heck, Stille and Sonogashira, which have had great success in indole chemistry, oxidative coupling and cyclization are powerful routes to a variety of carbazoles, carbolines, indolocarbazoles, and other fused indoles. 

Recognizing that l-(phenylsulfonyl)-3-lithioindole tends to isomerize to the corresponding 2-lithioindole derivative, Bosch et al. used a silyl ether protection to solve the problem. They prepared 3-indolylzinc reagent 36 from 3-bromo-l-(terr-butyldimethylsilyI)indole (35) and then coupled 36 with 2-halopyridine 33 to form 3-(2-pyridyl)indole 37. Finally, the Negishi adduct 37 was further manipulated to a naturally occurring indole alkaloid, ( )-nordasycarpidone (38) [23,27]. 

The DoM reaction of carbamoyl indole 89 followed by transmetalation with zinc bromide provided the organozinc parmer required for the Negishi reaction. Coupling of this intermediate with 3-bromopyridine afforded heterobiaryl 90 [32]. 

Applications in Retro-Mannich Reactions. Treatment of unprotected gramine with NIS results in smooth conversion to 3-iodoindole (eq 20). 3,4-Disubstituted indoles are obtained by combination of the retro-Mannich process with the directed ortho metalation reaction (DoM) or the Negishi cross-coupling protocol. ... 

They also successfully conducted benzylic Negishi-Baba coupling on 2-methylbenzo[fi]thiophen, 2-methylbenzofuran, indole, and benzo[r/] imidazole. 

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