Palladium-catalyzed C3-benzylation of indoles

N-indolyltriethylborate: a useful reagent for synthesis of C3-quaternary indolenines

N-Indolyltriethylborate was found to be a useful reagent for dearomatizing C3-alkylation of 3-substituted indoles with both activated and nonactivated alkyl halides to give C3-quaternary indolenines, pyrroloindolines, furoindoline, and hexahydropyridoindoline under mild reaction conditions. The utility of these reagents was demonstrated in the syntheses of a pyrroloindoline-4-cholestene hybrid and debromoflustramine B.

Copper-catalyzed diastereoselective arylation of tryptophan derivatives: total synthesis of (+)-naseseazines A and B

A copper-catalyzed arylation of tryptophan derivatives is reported. The reaction proceeds with high site- and diastereoselectivity to provide aryl pyrroloindoline products in one step from simple starting materials. The utility of this transformation is highlighted in the five-step syntheses of the natural products (+)-naseseazine A and B.

Palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative allylation and benzylation of N-alloc and N-Cbz indoles

A set of general methods for the palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative C3-allylation and C3-benzylation of indoles, starting from the corresponding N-alloc and N-Cbz indoles, respectively, is reported. This chemistry provides ready access to a wide range of functionalized indolenines in good to excellent yields. A tandem process, wherein the palladium catalyzed allylation chemistry is coupled with a Mizoroki-Heck reaction, offers a simple route to cinnamylated products.

Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylations of 3-substituted indoles using chiral P/olefin ligands

A palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of 3-substituted indoles using P/olefin ligands was successfully achieved to afford a variety of indolenines containing a quaternary carbon stereocenter in high yields with up to 87% ee. Significantly, this reaction provides a concise access to a stereoisomer of the natural product Angelicastigmin.

Palladium-catalyzed substitution of (coumarinyl)methyl acetates with C-, N-, and S-nucleophiles

The palladium-catalyzed nucleophilic substitution of (coumarinyl)methyl acetates is described. The reaction proceeds though a palladium π-benzyl-like complex and allows for many different types of C-, N-, and S-nucleophiles to be regioselectively added to the biologically active coumarin motif. This new method was utilized to prepare a 128-membered library of aminated coumarins for biological screening.

Palladium-catalyzed, pyrrolidine-mediated arylmethylation of ketones and aldehydes with coumarinyl(methyl) acetates

We report the palladium-catalyzed, pyrrolidine-mediated α-benzylation of enamines generated from aldehydes and ketones. The method allows for direct coupling of medicinally relevant coumarin moieties with aldehydes and ketones in good yield under mild conditions. The reaction is believed to proceed via a Pd-π-benzyl complex generated from (coumarinyl)methyl acetates.

A Copper-Catalyzed Arylation of Tryptamines for the Direct Synthesis of Aryl Pyrroloindolines

An operationally simple, copper-catalyzed arylation of N-tosyltryptamines provides direct access to C3-aryl pyrroloindolines. A range of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents is tolerated on both the indole backbone and the aryl electrophile. These reactions occur under ambient temperatures and with equimolar quantities of the coupling partners.