Reactions of cationic species with nucleophiles

Protonation of pyrrole, furan and thiophene derivatives generates reactive electrophilic intermediates which participate in polymerization, rearrangement and ring-opening reactions. Pyrrole itself gives a mixture of polymers (pyrrole red) on treatment with mineral acid and a trimer (146) under carefully controlled conditions. Trimer formation involves attack on the neutral pyrrole molecule by the less thermodynamically favored, but more reactive, (3-protonated pyrrole (145). The trimer (147) formed on treatment of thiophene with phosphoric acid also involves the generation of an a-protonated species. 

Reactivity of Five-membered Rings with One Heteroatom 

Indolines are produced in good yield from 1-benzenesulfonylindoles by reduction with sodium cyanoborohydride in TFA at 0°C (Equation 5) (89TL6833). If acyl groups are present at C-2 or C-3 in the substrate, they are reduced to alkyl groups. Indole is also reduced to 2,3-dihydroindole by sodium cyanoborohydride and acetic acid or triethylamineborane and hydrochloric acid. An alternative method for preparing indolines involves treatment of indoles with formic acid (or a mixture of formic acid and ammonium formate) and a palladium catalyst (82S785). Reduction of the heterocyclic ring under acidic conditions probably involves initial 3-protonation followed by reaction with hydride ion. 

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