Sigmatropic rearrangements indol

Retrosynthesis a in Scheme 7,1 corresponds to the Fischer indole synthesis which is the most widely used of all indole syntheses. The Fischer cyclization converts arylhydrazones of aldehydes or ketones into indoles by a process which involves orf/io-substitution via a sigmatropic rearrangement. The rearrangement generates an imine of an o-aminobenzyl ketone which cyclizes and aromatizes by loss of ammonia. 

Anomalous Fischer cyclizations are observed with certain c-substituted aryl-hydrazones, especially 2-alkoxy derivatives[l]. The products which are formed can generally be accounted for by an intermediate which w ould be formed by (ip50-substitution during the sigmatropic rearrangement step. Nucleophiles from the reaction medium, e.g. Cl or the solvent, are introduced at the 5-and/or 6-position of the indole ring. Even carbon nucleophiles, e.g. ethyl acetoacelate, can be incorporated if added to the reaction solution[2]. The use of 2-tosyloxy or 2-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy derivatives has been found to avoid this complication and has proved useful in the preparation of 7-oxygen-ated indoles[3]. 

Gassman and co-workers developed a synthetic route from anilines to indoles and oxindoles which involves [2.3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of anilinosul-fonium ylides. These can be prepared from Ai-chloroanilines and ot-thiomcthyl-ketones or from an aniline and a chlorosulfonium salt[l]. The latter sequence is preferable for anilines with ER substituents. Rearrangement and cyclizalion occurs on treatment of the anilinosulfonium salts with EtjN. The initial cyclization product is a 3-(methylthio)indole and these can be desulfurized with Raney nickel. Use of 2-(methylthio)acetaldehyde generates 2,3-unsubstituled indoles after desulfurization[2]. Treatment of 3-methylthioindoles with tri-fiuoroacetic acid/thiosalieylie acid is a possible alternative to Raney nickel for desulfurization[3]. 

The Fischer Indole Synthesis and Related Sigmatropic Syntheses. In the Fischer indole synthesis (26) an Ai-aryUiydra2one is cyclized, usually under acidic conditions, to an indole. The key step is a [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement of an enehydra2one tautomer of the hydra2one. 

The Piloty-Robinson pyrrole synthesis (74JOC2575,18JCS639) may be viewed as a monocyclic equivalent of the Fischer indole synthesis. The conversion of ketazines into pyrroles under strongly acidic conditions apparently proceeds through a [3,3] sigmatropic rearrange-... 

A number of reaction pathways have been proposed for the Fischer indolization reaction. The mechanism proposed by Robinson and Robinson in 1918, which was extended by Allen and Wilson in 1943 and interpreted in light of modem electronic theory by Carlin and Fischer in 1948 is now generally accepted. The mechanism consists of three stages (I) hydrazone-ene-hydrazine equilibrium (II) formation of the new C-C bond via a [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement (III) generation of the indole nucleus by loss of... 

Under acidic conditions, the first step involves protonation of the imine nitrogen followed by tautomerization to form an ene-hydrazine intermediate (7). After the tautomerization, a [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement occurs, which provides intermediate 8. Rearomatization then occurs via a proton shift to form the imine 9 which cyclizes to form the 5-membered ring 10. Finally, loss of ammonia from 11 generates the indole nucleus in 12. 

In a process related to the Fischer indole synthesis, arenesulfinamides 96 underwent thermal conversion into the corresponding indoles 97 via a [3.3] sigmatropic rearrangement followed by cydization and loss of HSOH <96BSF329>. 

As shown in Scheme 4.3, the Fisher indolization was thought to involve (i) hydrolysis of diethyl dimethylamino acetal 11, (ii) formation ofhydrazone 22, (iii) isomerization ofhydrazone to me-hydrazine 23, and (iv) [3.3] sigmatropic rearrangement followed by ring closure to give indole 16b. Acetal 11 is stable in AcOH at room temperature, but can be readily hydrolyzed to aldehyde 19 at 100 °C, with subsequent cyclization to hemiaminal 20. Hemiaminal 20 was also formed readily... 

In a clever application of the hetero-Cope rearrangement, Martin used a Pd-catalyzed coupling of W-arylhydroxamates 362 with vinyl acetate to set up the [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement 363 to 364 and final cyclization 364 to 365 [432-435]. Applications of this novel indole ring... 

The corresponding reaction of diethyl 1,2-propadienyl phosphonates (sulfones or sulfoxides) with N-phenylhydroxylamine afforded a-anionic N-phenylvinyloxyamine 159, which upon [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement led to anionic 2-(2 -oxoalkyl)phe-nylamine 160. Further cyclization provides an efficient synthesis of indole derivatives 161 [84]. 

With phenylhydroxylamine and an aldehyde, 1,2-propadienyl methyl ketone afforded indole derivatives via the intermediacy of 437 the latter was formed by a sequential addition, in situ aldol condensation and sigmatropic rearrangement process [195]. 

With phenylhydrazine, a mixture of pyrazoles 587 and 3H-indoles 591 were formed via conjugate addition, C=C bond migration and cyclic animation of the nitrile group or [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of 3-amino-3-alkenenitriles 585, respectively [268a],... 

If the hydroformylation of olefins is conducted in the presence of aromatic hydrazines and Bronsted or Lewis acids indoles can be obtained directly in one pot [91-93,95]. Hydroformylation of the olefin gives an intermediate aldehyde, which is trapped immediately by the present aromatic hydrazine as an aromatic hydrazones similar to the formation of imines under hydroformylation conditions. Under acid mediation these aromatic hydrazones undergo a Fischer indolization, consisting of a [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement followed by a cyclization and elimination of ammonia (Scheme 38). 

One potential approach for the preparation of benzofuran derivatives involves the acid-catalyzed cyclization of O-aryl oximes 1193. 39 (equation 36). The transformation is analogous to well-known Fisher indole synthesis. The reaction proceeds through a [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of enehydroxylamine 120 to compound 121 followed... 

A new synthetic method of benzofuran was reported (equation 39). The [3,31-sigma-tropic rearrangement of Af-trifluoroacetyl enehydroxylamines 136 obtained in situ by acylation of oxime ethers 135 in the presence of trifluoroacetic anhydride lead to the synthesis of cyclic or acyclic dihydrobenzofurans 138. The effects of base and temperature on the reaction products were studied. A similar pathway to that of Fisher indolization was proposed. The acylimine formed by the [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of the V-trifluoroacetyl enehydroxylamine 136 gave the dihydrobenzofuran 137 by an intramolecular cyclization or the benzofuran 138 after elimination. 

The synthesis of 3- and 7-substituted indoles (184 and 185) by [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of A-hydroxyindole derivatives (181) was reported (equation 54). A-hydroxyindole 181 in the presence of cyanogen bromide (182, R = Br, = N) and base afforded 183 that rearranged to the NCO substituted at position 3 and position 7, leading to two isomeric isocyanates, 184 and 185, respectively. Different behaviour was found when an acetylenic sulfone 182, R =11, R = CTos, was used where the 3-substituted indole 186 was the only rearrangement product identified. 

The cyclohexanone phenylhydrazone (512), obtained by reacting cyclohexanone (510) with phenylhydrazine (511), on indolization, furnished tetrahydrocarbazole 513 which, on dehydrogenation, afforded carbazole 514. The success of the reaction is dependent on the reagent used for indolization and the dehydrogenating agent. The mechanism for the formation of the tetrahydrocarbazole involves a tautomeric equilibrium and the formation of a new C-C bond via a [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement followed by elimination of ammonia (495,496,498) (Scheme 5.7). 

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