Synthesis of cyclopent[b]indolones

Dearomative (4 + 3) Cycloaddition Reactions of 3-Alkenylindoles and 3-Alkenylpyrroles to Afford Cyclohepta[b]indoles and Cyclohepta[b]pyrroles

The dearomative (4 + 3) cycloaddition reactions of 3-alkenylindoles with in situ-generated oxyallyl cations furnish cyclohepta[b]indoles, functionality-rich frameworks found in many bioactive compounds, including all pentacyclic ambiguine alkaloids. The analogous reactions between oxyallyl cations and 3-alkenylpyrroles afford cyclohepta[b]pyrroles. The cycloadducts are generally formed in good to high yields and diastereoselectivities and can be readily transformed into useful derivatives. Additionally, we report preliminary investigations into the enantioselective catalysis of the dearomative (4 + 3) cycloaddition using imidodiphosphorimidate catalysts.

Reductive Cyclization of o-Nitroarylated-α,β-unsaturated Aldehydes and Ketones with TiCl3/HCl or Fe/HCl Leading to 1,2,3,9-Tetrahydro-4 H-carbazol-4-ones and Related Heterocycles

Compounds such as 3, the product of a palladium[0]-catalyzed Ullmann cross-coupling of o-iodonitrobenzene and 2-iodocyclohex-2-en-1-one, undergo complementary modes of reductive cyclization depending upon the conditions employed. Thus, on treatment with hydrogen in the presence of palladium on carbon, the tetrahydrocarbazole 4 is formed, while reaction of the same substrate (3) with TiCl₃ in acetone affords the 1,2,3,9-tetrahydro-4 H-carbazol-4-one 6.

Flow Photo-Nazarov Reactions of 2-Furyl Vinyl Ketones: Cyclizing a Class of Traditionally Unreactive Heteroaromatic Enones

Nazarov reactions of 2-furyl vinyl ketones and related heteroaromatic enones, to produce furan-fused cyclopentanones using a flow photochemical approach, are described. Compounds possessing this connectivity between heterocycle and ketone (2-furyl, 2-benzofuryl, 2-thiophene-yl, and 2-benzothiophene-yl) have traditionally proven difficult or impossible to cyclize with typical Brønsted and Lewis acid mediated methods. Using mild flow photochemistry conditions and acetic acid (AcOH) or hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) as solvent, these compounds were found to cyclize in 45-97% yields, with typical UV exposure times of 3.4-6.8 min. In all cases, 2-furyl and 2-thiophene-yl enones cyclized, whereas 2-benzofuryl and 2-benzothiophene-yl enones exhibited divergent properties with reactivity patterns tied to the identity of the vinyl group. This report discloses the first photo-Nazarov reactions of tetrahydropyridine-substituted 2-furyl ketones, providing a direct approach to the corresponding fused heterocyclic motifs built around a central cyclopentanone. These motifs constitute the core structures of biologically active natural products, including the marine alkaloid nakadomarin A.

Experimental and computational study of the catalytic asymmetric 4π-electrocyclization of N-heterocycles

The first asymmetric metal-catalyzed Nazarov cyclization of N-heterocycles has been developed. The use of a chiral catalyst allows the enantioselective electrocyclization of N-heterocycles under mild conditions and the corresponding products are obtained in good yields with excellent enantio- and diastereoselectivity. The reaction mechanism and the absolute configuration of the obtained products are explained by means of computational studies.

(1R,2S)-Methyl 1-(4-chloro-phen-yl)-3-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetra-hydro-cyclo-penta-[b]indole-2-carboxyl-ate 0.2-hydrate

The title compound, C₁₉H₁₄ClNO₃·0.2H₂O, crystallizes with five mol­ecules and a disordered water mol­ecule in the asymmetric unit. Four of the five mol­ecules form hydrogen-bonded dimers via N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds towards another symmetry-independent mol­ecule, whereas the fifth mol­ecule forms a hydrogen-bonded dimer with its symmetry equivalent, also via N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The dihedral angle between the planes of the fused benzene ring and the five-membered ring to which it is attached is 79.45 (13), 49.00 (15), 72.49 (16), 81.91 (18) and 76.38 (16)° for the five mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit.

Domino Carbocationic Rearrangement of α-[Bis(methylthio)methylene]alkyl-2-(3/2-indolyl) Cyclopropyl Ketones

Domino carbocationic rearrangement of a number of substituted 3- and 2-indolylcyclopropyl ketones with an alpha-bis(methylthio)methylene group in the presence of various protic/Lewis acids yields a variety of products, mainly the pentaleno fused indoles and the carbazole derivatives.

A General Method for the Catalytic Nazarov Cyclization of Heteroaromatic Compounds

A general, catalytic method for efficient Nazarov cyclization of systems containing heteroaromatic components has been developed. Scandium triflate was identified as the most reactive promoter, and it was found that addition of lithium perchlorate was necessary for synthetically useful catalytic cyclizations. The method was used to synthesize a range of cyclopentanone-fused heteroaromatic systems in 36-97% yield, and the reactivity trends observed demonstrate the impact of polarization on cyclization efficiency. [reaction: see text].

Efficient Syntheses of Substituted Carbazoles and Cyclopent[b]indoles from 1-Methyl-3-(benzotriazol-1-ylmethyl)indole

1-Methyl-3-(benzotriazol-1-ylmethyl)indole (1) undergoes lithiation and 1,4-addition with a variety of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones and aldehydes. Subsequent treatment with an acidic resin in refluxing 1,4-dioxane causes intramolecular cyclization followed by aromatization to furnish a wide range of 1,3-di-, 2,3-di-, and 1,2,3-trisubstituted carbazoles 6a-j and 8 in moderate to excellent yields. NMR study is described to discriminate between structures of types 6 and 8 on the basis of (1)H-(13)C long-range correlation. Treatment of 1 with styrenes in the presence of zinc bromide results in formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition to give cyclopent[b]indoles 14a-c in good yields. When 1 is first lithiated and reacts with electrophiles, the resulting alkylation products undergo similar [3 + 2] additions with styrenes to give 1-functionalized cyclopent[b]indoles 15 and 16with a high degree of stereoselectivity.