Generation and cycloaddition reactions of indole-2,3-quinodimethanes

Construction of poly-N-heterocyclic scaffolds via the controlled reactivity of Cu-allenylidene intermediates

Controlling the sequence of the three consecutive reactive carbon centres of Cu-allenylidene remains a challenge. One of the impressive achievements in this area is the Cu-catalyzed annulation of 4-ethynyl benzoxazinanones, which are transformed into zwitterionic Cu-stabilized allenylidenes that are trapped by interceptors to provide the annulation products. In principle, the reaction proceeds via a preferential γ-attack, while annulation reactions via an α- or β-attack are infrequent. Herein, we describe a method for controlling the annulation mode, by the manipulation of a CF₃ or CH₃ substituent, to make it proceed via either a γ-attack or an α- or β-attack. The annulation of CF₃-substituted substrates with sulfamate-imines furnished densely functionalized N-heterocycles with excellent enantioselectivity via a cascade of an internal β-attack and an external α-attack. CH₃-variants were transformed into different heterocycles that possess a spiral skeleton, via a cascade of an internal β-attack and a hydride α-migration followed by a Diels-Alder reaction.

The Generation of Indole-2,3-quinodimethanes from the Deamination of 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydropyrrolo[3,4-b]indoles

A novel generation of indole-2,3-quinodimethanes via the deamination of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrrolo[s3,4-b]indoles is reported.

A new method for the generation of indole-2,3-quinodimethanes and 2-(N-alkoxycarbonylamino)-1,3-dienes. Intramolecular Heck/Diels-Alder cycloaddition cascade starting from acyclic alpha-phosphoryloxy [corrected] enecarbamates

An intramolecular Heck/Diels-Alder cycloaddition cascade starting from acyclic alpha-phosphono enecarbamates has been developed to prepare nitrogen heterocycles via indole-2,3-quinodimethanes and 2-(N-alkoxycarbonylamino)-1,3-dienes.

A Novel Generation of Indole-2,3-quinodimethanes

[reaction: see text] A novel and efficient procedure for the generation of the reactive indole-2,3-quinodimethane intermediates from the allenylanilines is described. The indole-2,3-quinodimethane intermediates were captured by several dienophiles to afford the corresponding tetrahydro- and dihydrocarbazole derivatives. This method is significantly different from the previously reported ones, which involve the 1,4-elimination or its related reactions of the indole derivatives that possess suitable substituents at both the C-2 and C-3 positions.

Synthesis and anticancer activity of new pyrrolocarbazoles and pyrrolo-β-carbolines

'Bended' 1, 3 or 'linear' 2 pyrrolidino-fused (aza)carbazoles were prepared and screened towards a few cancer-related targets. Whereas 'bended' derivatives 1 and 3 proved to be weakly toxic, several members of the 'linear' family strongly interact with DNA, especially derivative 28a.