A Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Cascade Reaction for the Conversion of Indoles to α-(3-Indolyl) Ketones by Using 2-Benzyloxy Aldehydes

Towards bioresource-based aggregation-induced emission luminogens from lignin β-O-4 motifs as renewable resources

One-pot synthesis of heterocyclic aromatics with good optical properties from phenolic β-O-4 lignin segments is of high importance to meet high value added biorefinery demands. However, executing this process remains a huge challenge due to the incompatible reaction conditions of the depolymerization of lignin β-O-4 segments containing γ-OH functionalities and bioresource-based aggregation-induced emission luminogens (BioAIEgens) formation with the desired properties. In this work, benzannulation reactions starting from lignin β-O-4 moieties with 3-alkenylated indoles catalyzed by vanadium-based complexes have been successfully developed, affording a wide range of functionalized carbazoles with up to 92% yield. Experiments and density functional theory calculations suggest that the reaction pathway involves the selective cleavage of double C-O bonds/Diels-Alder cycloaddition/dehydrogenative aromatization. Photophysical investigations show that these carbazole products represent a class of BioAIEgens with twisted intramolecular charge transfer. Distinctions of emission behavior were revealed based on unique acceptor-donor-acceptor-type molecular conformations as well as molecular packings. This work features lignin β-O-4 motifs with γ-OH functionalities as renewable substrates, without the need to apply external oxidant/reductant systems. Here, we show a concise and sustainable route to functional carbazoles with AIE properties, building a bridge between lignin and BioAIE materials.

Gold-Catalyzed Cascade Reaction of 2-Alkynyl Aryl Azides with Enecarbamates for Direct Synthesis of α-(3-Indolyl)ketones

α-(3-Indolyl)ketones are essential building blocks for the generation of biologically active molecules. We described a new method for the direct assembly of α-(3-indolyl)ketones through the cascade reaction of 2-alkynyl aryl azides with enecarbamates, in which the in situ generated α-imino gold carbene intermediate was trapped by enecarbamate to achieve umpolung reactivity of indole at the 3-position.

Development of Carbazole-Cored Organo-Photocatalyst for Visible Light-Driven Reductive Pinacol/Imino-Pinacol Coupling

Benzoperylenocarbazole (BPC), a unique carbazole-based organophotocatalyst, is reported herein as a potent organo-photoreductant. Lower excited state oxidation potential (-2.0 V vs SCE) and reasonable excited state lifetime (4.61 ns) render BPC an effective photosensitizer. Under irradiation of blue light employing low catalyst loading (0.5 mol %), a plethora of vicinal diols and diamines were synthesized in excellent yields through reductive coupling of carbonyls and imines, respectively. Insight about the electronic structure of BPC was obtained by DFT calculations.

Copper-catalyzed multicomponent reactions for the efficient synthesis of diverse spirotetrahydrocarbazoles

In the presence of copper sulfate, three- or four-component reactions of 2-methylindole, aromatic aldehydes and various cyclic dienophiles in refluxing toluene afforded diverse spirotetrahydrocarbazoles. This reaction is an important development of the Levy reaction by using 2-methylindole to replace ethyl indole-2-acetate and successfully provides facile access to important polysubstituted spiro[carbazole-3,3'-indolines], spiro[carbazole-2,3'-indolines], spiro[carbazole-3,5'-pyrimidines] and spiro[carbazole-3,1'-cycloalkanes] in satisfactory yields and with high diastereoselectivity.

Access to tetrahydrocarbazoles and pyrrolo[3,4-b]carbazoles through sequential reactions of triazoles and indoles

Tetrahydrocarbazoles and pyrrolo[3,4-b]carbazoles could be synthesized conveniently through sequential reactions of ester-tethered 1-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles and indoles. The reaction conditions were mild and the procedures were quite simple. Moreover, the key intermediate α,β-unsaturated imine acted as a [2C] synthon in the [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction, and the imino group could be used as a nucleophile to construct the fourth ring.

Cascade annulative π-extension for the rapid construction of carbazole based polyaromatic hydrocarbons

A Brønsted acid catalyzed cascade benzannulation strategy for the one-pot synthesis of densely populated poly-aryl benzo[a]carbazole architectures is disclosed from easily affordable fundamental commodities. The efficacy of this technique was further validated via the concise synthesis of structurally unique carbazole based poly-aromatic hydrocarbons. Furthermore, the photo-physical properties of the synthesized compounds are thoroughly investigated.

Multicomponent Reaction for Diastereoselective Synthesis of Spiro[carbazole-3,4'-pyrazoles] and Spiro[carbazole-3,4'-thiazoles]

In the presence of copper sulfate, the three-component reaction of aromatic aldehydes, ethylindole-3-acetate and 4-arylidene-5-methyl-2-phenylpyrazol-3-ones, in refluxing toluene afforded spiro[carbazole-3,4'-pyrazoles] in good yields with high diastereoselectivity. More importantly, the similar CuSO₄ promoted the four-component reaction of two molecular aromatic aldehydes with ethylindole-3-acetate and 5-methyl-2-phenyl-pyrazol-3-one resulted in 2,4-diarylspiro[carbazole-3,4'-pyrazoles] in satisfactory yields. Additionally, CuSO₄ promoted the four-component reaction of two molecular aromatic aldehydes, ethylindole-3-acetate and 2-phenylthiazol-4-one, in refluxing toluene gave 2,4-diarylspiro[carbazole-3,4'-thiazoles] with diastereomeric ratios in the range of 3:1 to 20:1.

A one-pot "back-to-front" approach for the synthesis of benzene ring substituted indoles using allylboronic acids

Synthesis of only benzene ring functionalized indoles and poly-substituted carbazoles is reported via a one-pot triple cascade benzannulation protocol. Usage of differently substituted and readily accessible allylboronic acids as a 3-carbon annulating partner enables diverse aliphatic and aromatic substitution patterns, which is still a daunting task. This scalable synthetic protocol tolerates broad scope, thus enabling further downstream modifications. As an application, carbazole based natural products glycozoline and glycozolinol were synthesized.

Harnessing the chemistry of 4aH-carbazoles: a consecutive rearrangements approach to carbazoles

We report a mild method for the synthesis of 4aH-carbazole intermediates with significant synthetic flexibility and variability, and demonstrate the controllable rearrangements of such intermediates to carbazoles.

Organocatalytic dimensions to the C–H functionalization of the carbocyclic core in indoles: a review update

A review highlighting important research findings in remote C–H activation processes using effectual organocatalytic perspectives. The challenging indole carbocyclic ring positions were successfully accessed with proper regio- and stereocontrols.

Benzannulation strategies for the synthesis of carbazoles, indolocarbazoles, benzocarbazoles, and carbolines

This review presents a critical and authoritative analysis of several exciting benzannulation approaches developed in the past decade for the construction of carbazoles, indolocarbazoles, benzocarbazoles, and carbolines.

One-pot access to tetrahydrobenzo[c]carbazoles from simple ketones by using O2 as an oxidant

An effective and operationally simple one-pot Brønsted acid catalyzed cascade method is demonstrated for the synthesis of diversely functionalized carbazole frameworks starting from protecting group free 2-alkenyl indoles.