The Reaction of Donor‐Acceptor Cyclopropanes with 4,7‐Dihydroindole: A New Protocol for the Synthesis of Divergent C2‐Alkylated Indoles

Regioselective C3-H Alkylation of Imidazopyridines with Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes

Alkylated imidazopyridines are crucial structures for medicinal chemistry. Here, an efficient method for the C3-H alkylation of imidazopyridines was devised. Under Lewis acid-catalyzed conditions, reactions of imidazopyridines with different donor-acceptor cyclopropanes were carried out. Finally, 1,3-bisfunctionalizaton of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes was performed. In addition, synthesized C3-alkylated imidazopyridines are amenable for diverse synthetic applications.

Recent advances in ring-opening of donor acceptor cyclopropanes using C-nucleophiles

Ring-opening transformations of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes (DAC) with carbon-centered nucleophiles is a simple, straight-forward approach to 1,3-bifunctional compounds that has witnessed remarkable progress over the past several years. To date, different reactivity patterns of DACs have been successfully exploited in racemic/stereoselective syntheses of various acyclic compounds or carbocycles with an impressive structural diversity. The thriving strategies have been successfully utilized in multistep synthesis of complex target molecules. Herein, the recent advances (2015-present) in the ring-opening of DAC involving electron rich arenes and indoles, active methylene compounds, various dipolarophiles, organoborates/boronates, vinyl ethers etc. following Friedel-Crafts alkylation, annulation/formal cycloaddition reaction, organocatalytic reaction, Nazarov cyclisation etc. are presented.

Protocols for the Syntheses of 2,2'-Bis(indolyl)arylmethanes, 2-Benzylated Indoles, and 5,7-Dihydroindolo[2,3-b]carbazoles

The electrophilic substitution reaction of 4,7-dihydroindole with aryl-aldehydes as an electrophilic partner followed by an oxidation step to deliver 2,2'-bis(indolyl)arylmethanes was studied for the first time. The reaction afforded regioselectivity at the 2,2'-positions of indole in an operationally simple and inexpensive procedure with a variety of substrates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first set of examples of 2,2'-bis(indolyl)arylmethanes obtained in a substituent-free manner. A facile method from dipyrromethanes to the corresponding 2-benzylindoles was also reported. In addition, 2,2'-bis(indolyl)arylmethanes were converted to 5,7-dihydroindolo[2,3-b]carbazoles.

Ring-Opening 1,3-Aminochalcogenation of Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes: A Three-Component Approach

A 1,3-aminothiolation was realized by reacting 2-substituted cyclopropane 1,1-dicarboxylates with sulfonamides and N-(arylthio)succinimides. Under Sn(OTf)2 catalysis the transformation proceeded smoothly to the corresponding ring-opened products bearing the sulfonamide in the 1-position next to the donor and the arylthio residue in the 3-position next to the acceptor. The procedure was extended to the corresponding selenium analogues by employing N-(phenylseleno)succinimides as an electrophilic selenium source.