Bis-Suzuki reactions of 2,3-dihaloindoles. A convenient synthesis of 2,3-diarylindoles

Facile synthesis of diiodoheteroindenes and understanding their Sonogashira cross-coupling selectivity for the construction of unsymmetrical enediynes

Electrophile-promoted cyclizations of functionalized alkynes offer a useful tool for constructing halogen-substituted heterocycles primed for further derivatization. Preinstallation of an iodo-substituent at the alkyne prior to iodo-cyclization opens access to ortho di-iodinated heterocyclic precursors for the preparation of unsymmetrical heterocycle-fused enediynes. This general approach was used to prepare 2,3-diiodobenzothiophene, 2,3-diiodoindole, and 2,3-diiodobenzofuran, a useful family of substrates for systematic studies of the role of heteroatoms on the regioselectivity of cross-coupling reactions. Diiodobenzothiophene showed much higher regioselectivity for Sonogashira cross-coupling at C2 than diiodoindole and diiodobenzofuran. As a result, benzothiophene can be conveniently involved in a one-pot sequential coupling with two different alkynes, yielding unsymmetrical benzothiophene-fused enediynes. On the other hand, the Sonogashira reaction of diiodoindole and diiodobenzofuran formed considerable amounts of di-substituted enediynes in addition to the monoalkyne product by coupling at C2. Interestingly, no C3-monocoupling products were observed for all of the diiodides, suggesting that the incorporation of the 1st alkyne at C2 activates the C3 position for the 2nd coupling. Additional factors affecting regioselectivity were detected, discussed and connected, through computational analysis, to transmetalation being the rate-determining step for the Sonogashira reaction. Several enediynes synthesized showed cytotoxic activity, which is not associated with DNA strand breaks typical of natural enediyne antibiotics.

1,2-Metallate Rearrangement Using Indole Boronate Species to Access 2,3-Diarylindoles and Indolines

A transition metal-free multicomponent reaction using lithiated indole, boronic ester, pyridine, and ethyl chloroformate was developed to access C2,C3 bis-arylated indoles, which are present in several marketed drugs and bioactive compounds. One-pot access to unsymmetrical C2,C3-diaryl indole from the parent indole remains a huge synthetic challenge. Our group was able to achieve this goal through a transition metal-free 1,2-metalate rearrangement of the indole boronate complex. The reaction of indole boronate species with activated pyridine allows 1,2-migration to access pyridyl-indoleboronate species, which will convert to the corresponding indole upon oxidation and indoline after deborylation. The reaction tolerates substituted pyridines, quinolone, isoquinoline, and more. Both aryl and alkyl boronic esters were accommodated under optimized reaction conditions. Apart from mechanistic studies using ¹¹B-NMR, this methodology has been applied to the gram-scale synthesis of several bioactive compounds.

Synthesis of 5,7-diarylindoles via Suzuki-Miyaura coupling in water

The synthesis of novel 5,7-diaryl and diheteroaryl indoles has been explored via efficient double Suzuki-Miyaura coupling. The method notably employs a low catalyst loading of Pd(PPh₃)₄ (1.5 mol%/coupling) and water as the reaction solvent to obtain 5,7-diarylated indoles without using N-protecting groups in up to 91% yield. The approach is also suitable for N-protected and 3-substituted indoles and constitutes an important green and convenient arylation strategy for the benzenoid ring of indoles. The synthesized diarylindoles are fluorescent.

Mechanochemical Pd(II)-Catalyzed Direct and C-2-Selective Arylation of Indoles

A mechanochemical method for the preparation of synthetically useful 2-arylindoles is developed using Pd(II) as the catalyst in the absence of phosphine ligands in a ball-mill. The developed protocol is highly C-2 selective and tolerant of structural variations with electron-rich and electron-deficient substituents both in indoles and iodoarenes. Arylation is possible in both unprotected indoles and N-protected indoles with the electron-donating group with the former substrate being relatively slower to react and little less yielding. Indoles with a deactivated five-membered ring could also take part in the reaction with ease. The scalability of the reaction was demonstrated by conducting the reaction in the gram scale. In general, the reactions were achieved in a shorter time than the conventional methods.

Site-selective Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of heteroaryl halides - understanding the trends for pharmaceutically important classes

Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of heteroaryl polyhalides with aryl boronates are surveyed. Drawing on data from literature sources as well as bespoke searches of Pfizer's global chemistry RKB and CAS Scifinder® databases, the factors that determine the site-selectivity of these reactions are discussed with a view to rationalising the trends found.

Microwave irradiated synthesis of 2-bromo(chloro)indoles via intramolecular cyclization of 2-(gem-dibromo(chloro)vinyl)anilines in the presence of TBAF under metal-free conditions

2-Bromo(chloro)indoles were readily prepared through TBAF-promoted intramolecular cyclization of 2-(gem-dibromo(chloro)vinyl)anilines in excellent yields under metal-free and microwave irradiation conditions.

Facile Synthesis of 2,2-Bis(1 H-Indol-3-yl)Acenaphthen-1(2H)-One Derivatives Catalysed by Ceric Ammonium Nitrate

Ceric ammonium nitrate efficiently catalyses the reaction of acenaphthenequinone with indoles afforded symmetrical 2,2-bis(1H-indol-3-yl)acenaphthen-1(2H)-one in excellent yields within 2h under ethanol refluxing, as well as 2-hydroxy-2-indolylacenaphthen-1(2H)-one with indoles afforded the corresponding unsymmetrical 2,2-bis(1H-indol-3-yl)acenaphthen-1(2H)-one. This provides an efficient route to the synthesis of symmetrical and unsymmetrical 2,2-bis(1H-indol-3-yl)acenaphthen-1(2H)-one derivatives.

Palladium-catalyzed direct C-2 arylation of indoles with potassium aryltrifluoroborate salts

Mild conditions have been developed to achieve Pd(OAc)2-catalyzed regioselective cross-coupling between indoles and potassium aryltrifluoroarylborates in the presence of Cu(OAc)2 in acetic acid at room temperature. A variety of potassium aryltrifluoroborates selectively undergo the direct arylation across indoles and afford 2-aryl indoles in moderate to good yields.

A highly selective tandem cross-coupling of gem-dihaloolefins for a modular, efficient synthesis of highly functionalized indoles

A highly efficient method of indole synthesis using gem-dihalovinylaniline substrates and an organoboron reagent was developed via a Pd-catalyzed tandem intramolecular amination and an intermolecular Suzuki coupling. Aryl, alkenyl, and alkyl boron reagents are all successfully employed, making for a versatile modular approach. The reaction tolerates a variety of substitution patterns on the aniline leading to indoles with group at C2-C7. The orthogonal approach of the sequential copper- and palladium-mediated synthesis of 1,2-diarylindoles exploited the wide availability of diverse organoboron reagents.

Three-coordinate organoboron with a BN bond: substituent effects, luminescence/electroluminescence and reactions with fluoride

Five new three-coordinate boron compounds with a B=N bond involving an indole or a substituted indole ligand including B(mesityl)2(indolyl), (1), B(mesityl)2(2-Me-indolyl), (2), B(mesityl)2(3-Me-indolyl), (3), B(mesityl)2 (7-Me-indolyl), (4), and B(mesityl)2(3-Ph-indolyl), (5) have been synthesized. The structures of these new compounds were determined by X-ray diffraction analyses. All five compounds are luminescent involving a charge transfer transition between the indolyl pi orbital and the boron p(pi) orbital. The substituent group on the indolyl ring was found to have a subtle impact on the electronic properties of compounds. NMR experiments established that the methyl group at the 7-position of indole is most effective in blocking the rotation of the mesityl group around the B-C bond. The addition of fluoride ions to this group of compounds causes luminescent quenching and an irreversible decomposition of the compounds due to the reaction of the F- adduct with water molecules. The potential use of this group of compounds as blue emitters in electroluminescent (EL) devices was demonstrated by the successful fabrication of a four-layer EL device where 1 was used as the emitter. The EL device displays a blue emission with a maximum luminescence being 1037 cd m(-2) and a maximum current efficiency about 0.7 cd A(-1) at 5 V.

Pd-Catalyzed Tandem C−N/C−C Coupling of gem-Dihalovinyl Systems: A Modular Synthesis of 2-Substituted Indoles

2-substituted indoles were synthesized via a Pd-catalyzed tandem C-N/Suzuki-Miyaura coupling from readily prepared ortho-gem-dihalovinylanilines. Optimal conditions used a Pd(OAc)(2)/S-Phos catalyst in the presence of K(3)PO(4).H(2)O and an organoboron reagent, which included boronic acids, esters, alkyl 9-BBN derivatives, and trialkylboranes. Yields of the desired indoles were good to excellent using low catalyst loadings (typically 1 mol %). [reaction: see text]

Catalytic enantioselective addition of indoles to arylnitroalkenes: An effective route to enantiomerically enriched tryptamine precursors

A new valuable catalytic protocol for the preparation of synthetically useful beta-indolyl nitro compounds bearing benzhydryl stereocenters is presented. The combined use of catalytic amounts of a commercially available chiral [SalenAlCl] complex and pyridine allowed, for the Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction of indoles with aromatic nitro-olefins to be carried out in good yields and enantioselectivity (up to 63% ee).

Arylboronic Acids and Arylpinacolboronate Esters in Suzuki Coupling Reactions Involving Indoles. Partner Role Swapping and Heterocycle Protection

Yields of Suzuki couplings involving indoles depended upon (i) whether arylboronic acids or arylpinacolboronate esters were used, (ii) whether the heterocycle was the aryl halide or the arylboron coupling partner, and (iii) whether the heterocycle was protected or not. Highest yields, which were unaffected by incorporating Boc or Tos protection at the heterocyclic nitrogen, were obtained when indole bromides were reacted with phenylboronic acids. When indolylboronic acids were reacted with phenyl bromides, yields were somewhat lower and depended on the nitrogen substituent, being highest in the absence of protection, lower in the presence of the Boc group, and lowest of all with the Tos group. Arylpinacolboronate esters were less reactive than arylboronic acids. They required considerably longer reaction times and furnished generally lower yields of biaryl. Furthermore, irrespective of whether the heterocycle was the aryl bromide or the arylpinacolboronate ester, these yields were highest when it was protected with the Tos group. Yields were lower with the Boc group, and unprotected heterocycles gave only traces of biaryl. Careful selection of arylboron reagent, of coupling partner roles, and of protecting groups are essential to ensuring optimum results in these Suzuki couplings. These results may also be relevant to couplings involving other substrates.

InBr3-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts addition of indoles to chiral aromatic epoxides: a facile route to enantiopure indolyl derivatives

Aromatic optically active epoxides can be opened in a regioselective and clean way with indoles in the presence of catalytic amount of InBr3 (1 mol %). The reaction takes place with a SN2 pathway affording the 2-aryl-2-(3'-indolyl)ethan-1-ols with excellent enantioselectivity (ee up to 99%).