Stoichiometric synthesis palladium chemistry

Most of the early applications of palladium to indole chemistry involved oxidative coupling or cyclization using stoichiometric Pd(II). Akermark first reported the efficient oxidative coupling of diphenyl amines to carbazoles 37 with Pd(OAc)2 in refluxing acetic acid [45]. The reaction is applicable to several ring-substituted carbazoles (Br, Cl, OMe, Me, NO2), and 20 years later Akermark and colleagues made this reaction catalytic in the conversion of arylaminoquinones 38 to carbazole-l,4-quinones 39 [46]. This oxidative cyclization is particularly useful for the synthesis of benzocarbazole-6,11-quinones (e.g., 40). 

Prior to the discovery of the aryl-Heck reaction (Chapter 72), the direct Pd-promoted oxidative cyclization of diaryl amines to carbazoles was well known. In 1975 Akennark reported this reaction (Scheme 1, eqnation 1) [1], In addition, A -phenylanthranUic acid gave carbazole-l-carboxylic acid (60%). Miller and Moock used Pd(OAc)j to cyclize 6-anilino-5,8-dimethylisoquinoIine to eUipticine in low yield [2]. The second advance in this chemistry was reported independently by Bittner [3] and Furukawa [4], who described the Pd-mediated (stoichiometric) oxidative conversion of 2-anilino-l,4-benzoquinones and 2-anilino-l,4-naphthoquinones to the corresponding carbazole-l,4-diones and benzo[ ]carbazole-l,6-diones (equations 2, 3). Furukawa s studies included syntheses of several carbazolequinone alkaloids. In 1995 Akermark and colleagues developed catalytic versions (i.e., using tert-butyl hydrogen peroxide [TBHP] or oxygen) of this cyclization (equation 3) [5,6], which elevated the importance of this palladium oxidative cyclization, mainly because of the expense of Pd(OAc)2. Somewhat earlier, Knbiker used cupric acetate as a reoxidant in a synthesis of carbazole-l,4-quinones [7]. 

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