Palladium-catalyzed dual C-H or N-H functionalization of unfunctionalized indole derivatives with alkenes and arenes

Acetoxy Group-Directed Regioselective C2 Alkenylation of Indoles via Pd-Ag Bimetallic Catalysis

Regioselective C-H functionalizations of indoles reported to date with directing groups at C3 mainly rely on functional groups that are linked to the indole via C-C bonds. However, groups that are linked to the indole core by C-X linkages are also attractive due to the possibility of further modifications of the C-X bond. Herein, we report a 3-acetoxy directing group for the regioselective C2 alkenylation of indoles via a C-H activation-based, cross-dehydrogenative, oxidative Heck-type reaction. The reaction is catalyzed by Pd(II) and Ag(I) with stoichiometric Cu(II) as the oxidant and provides the 2-alkenylated indoles in yields of 52-84%. The reaction conditions are compatible with several functional groups at different positions as well as different N-protecting groups or free NH groups on the indole core. With respect to the alkene coupling partners, the reactions are successful with acrylates, vinyl sulfates, and phosphates. Specifically designed experiments, as well as density functional theory (DFT) computational studies, reveal that a heterodinuclear [Pd(μ-OAc)3Ag] bimetallic species is the actual catalyst responsible for the C-H alkenylation. A mechanistic path involving this catalytic species was also found to be favorable over other possible pathways for explaining the observed regioselectivity through DFT studies.

Chemo- and regio-selective amidation of indoles with isocyanates using borane Lewis acids

A metal-free synthetic route using boranes has been developed for the amidation of indoles. A detailed mechanistic study was carried out to understand the reaction mechanism.

Palladium-Catalyzed Dehydrogenative C-2 Alkenylation of 5-Arylimidazoles and Related Azoles with Styrenes

The construction of carbon–carbon bonds by direct involvement of two unactivated carbon–hydrogen bonds, without any directing group, ensures a high atom economy of the entire process. Here, we describe a simple protocol for the Pd(II)/Cu(II)-promoted intermolecular cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) of 5-arylimidazoles, benzimidazoles, benzoxazole and 4,5-diphenylimidazole at their C-2 position with functionalized styrenes. This specific CDC, known as the Fujiwara–Moritani reaction or oxidative Heck coupling, also allowed the C-4 alkenylation of the imidazole nucleus when both 2 and 5 positions were occupied.

Switchable regioselective hydroalkylation of 2-arylindoles with maleimides

A condition-based switchable regioselective hydroalkylation of 2-arylindoles with maleimides has been developed. The reaction in the presence of a Ru(ii)-catalyst resulted in hydroalkylation at the ortho-position of the C2-aryl ring via C-H activation whereas the reaction in the absence of the catalyst in TFE resulted in C3-hydroalkylation. Various functional groups both on the indole ring and on the 2-phenyl ring were tolerated and a wide range of hydroalkylated products were obtained in moderate to high (37-88%) yields.

Palladium oxide-decorated mesoporous silica on graphene oxide nanosheets as a heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of β-substituted indole derivatives

In this work, an efficient and facile strategy has been adopted for the stepwise synthesis of the RGO-MSiO2/PdO hybrid nanomaterial (HY-NM). Herein, a hybrid nanostructure of mesoporous silica over graphene oxide (GO) sheets has been developed followed by immobilizing palladium oxide nanoparticles (PdO NPs), and then it has been utilized for catalyzing a multicomponent reaction (MCR). To authenticate the successful synthesis of the HY-NM and successive immobilization of PdO NPs, various physicochemical characterization techniques were utilized such as SEM, EDAX, HR-TEM, HR-XRD, TGA, BET, FT-IR, and XPS analysis. The activity of the HY-NM has been determined by performing the catalyst-mediated synthesis of β-substituted indole derivatives (yield 90-98%). The excellent catalytic activity of the prepared HY-NM could be observed due to its high surface area and large porosity, which facilitates the penetration and interaction of reactant molecules with the catalytic active species. This protocol eliminates the requirement of further purification after the isolation of the product from the reaction mixture. The ease of handling, recyclability of the catalyst, and simple work-up procedure are the main features of this protocol. The synthesized HY-NM could be recycled for multiple catalytic cycles making it a very effective heterogeneous catalyst.

BF3-OEt2 Catalyzed C3-Alkylation of Indole: Synthesis of Indolylsuccinimidesand Their Cytotoxicity Studies

A simple and efficient BF₃-OEt₂ promoted C3-alkylation of indole has been developed to obtain3-indolylsuccinimidesfrom commercially available indoles and maleimides, with excellent yields under mild reaction conditions. Furthermore, anti-proliferative activity of these conjugates was evaluated against HT-29 (Colorectal), Hepg2 (Liver) and A549 (Lung) human cancer cell lines. One of the compounds, 3w, having N,N-Dimethylatedindolylsuccinimide is a potent congener amongst the series with IC₅₀ value 0.02 µM and 0.8 µM against HT-29 and Hepg2 cell lines, respectively, and compound 3i was most active amongst the series with IC₅₀ value 1.5 µM against A549 cells. Molecular docking study and mechanism of reaction have briefly beendiscussed. This method is better than previous reports in view of yield and substrate scope including electron deficient indoles.

Hydrogen-Bonding-Assisted Cationic Aqua Palladium(II) Complex Enables Highly Efficient Asymmetric Reactions in Water

Metal-bound water molecules have recently been recognized as a new facet of soft Lewis acid catalysis. Herein, a chiral palladium aqua complex was constructed that enables carbon-hydrogen bonds of indoles to be functionalized efficiently. We embraced a chiral 2,2'-bipyridine as both ligand and hydrogen-bond donor to configure a robust, yet highly Lewis acidic, chiral aqua complex in water. Whereas the enantioselectivity could not be controlled in organic solvents or under solvent-free conditions, the use of aqueous environments allowed the σ-indolylpalladium intermediates to react efficiently in a highly enantioselective manner. This work thus describes a potentially powerful new approach to the transformation of organometallic intermediates in a highly enantioselective manner under mild reaction conditions.

Rhodium(III)-catalyzed C4-amidation of indole-oximes with dioxazolones via C-H activation

A novel method for the Rh(iii)-catalyzed oxime-directed C-H amidation of indoles with dioxazolones has been developed. This strategy provides an exclusive site selectivity and the directing group can be easily removed. This transformation features a wide substrate scope, good functional group tolerance and excellent yields, and may serve as a significant tool to construct structurally diverse indole derivatives for the screening of potential pharmaceuticals in the future.

Pd-Catalyzed Intermolecular Dehydrogenative Heck Reactions of Five-Membered Heteroarenes

The Pd-mediated cross-coupling of (hetero)arenes with alkenes may be an effective method for the formation of a C–C bond from two C–H bonds. Discovered by Fujiwara and co-workers in 1967, this reaction led to a number of reports that we firstly highlighted in 2011 (review with references till June 2010) and for which, we retained the name “dehydrogenative Heck reaction”. The topic, especially the reactions of five-membered heteroarenes, has been the subject of intensive research over the last ten years. The present review is limited to these dehydrogenative Heck reactions published since 2010, underlining the progress of the procedures.

Palladium-catalysed Heck-type alkenylation reactions in the synthesis of quinolines. Mechanistic insights and recent applications

Recent developments in Pd(0)- and Pd(ii)-catalysed alkenylation reactions for the synthesis of quinolines focusing on mechanistic understanding.

Cu(II)-Mediated Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling of Indolines with Sulfonamides, Carboxamides, and Amines

A facile and efficient Cu-mediated protocol for the cross-dehydrogenative coupling of indoline with sulfonamides, carboxamides, and anilines is reported. The reaction takes place through Cu-mediated C7-H activation via a 6-membered metallacycle to afford the amide and amine derivatives in good yields with a wide range of functional group tolerance. The importance of the protocol has been demonstrated by synthesizing the antiproliferative agent, ER-67836.

The controllable C2 arylation and C3 diazenylation of indoles with aryltriazenes under ambient conditions

The controllable C2 arylation and C3 diazenylation of indoles with aryltriazenes under ambient conditions was investigated.

The synthesis of polysubstituted indoles from 3-bromo-2-indolyl phosphates

A novel methodology for the synthesis of functionalised indoles based on the cross-coupling reactions of 3-bromo-2-indolyl phosphates is described. The preparation involves the conversion of easily available 2-oxindoles to 3,3-dibromo-2-oxindoles followed by the Perkow reaction affording 3-bromo-2-indolyl phosphates. Then bromine atom is substituted regioselectively by the Suzuki coupling reaction. We observed that aluminum chloride promoted the reaction of 3-substituted-2-indolyl phosphates with organozinc reagents furnishing 2,3-disubstituted indoles as final products. The overall diversity and efficiency of the methodology was demonstrated by the synthesis of bioactive molecule from easily available substances.

Regioselective direct arylation of indoles on the benzenoid moiety

Recent advances in transition metal-catalyzed selective C–H functionalization of indoles have garnered tremendous attention.

Cobalt-catalysed reductive C-H alkylation of indoles using carboxylic acids and molecular hydrogen

The direct CH-alkylation of indoles using carboxylic acids is presented for the first time. The catalytic system based on the combination of Co(acac)3 and 1,1,1-tris(diphenylphosphinomethyl)-ethane (Triphos, L1), in the presence of Al(OTf)3 as co-catalyst, is able to perform the reductive alkylation of 2-methyl-1H-indole with a wide range of carboxylic acids. The utility of the protocol was further demonstrated through the C3 alkylation of several substituted indole derivatives using acetic, phenylacetic or diphenylacetic acids. In addition, a careful selection of the reaction conditions allowed to perform the selective C3 alkenylation of some indole derivatives. Moreover, the alkenylation of C2 position of 3-methyl-1H-indole was also possible. Control experiments indicate that the aldehyde, in situ formed from the carboxylic acid hydrogenation, plays a central role in the overall process. This new protocol enables the direct functionalization of indoles with readily available and stable carboxylic acids using a non-precious metal based catalyst and hydrogen as reductant.

Palladium-Catalyzed Dehydrogenative Coupling: An Efficient Synthetic Strategy for the Construction of the Quinoline Core

Palladium-catalyzed dehydrogenative coupling is an efficient synthetic strategy for the construction of quinoline scaffolds, a privileged structure and prevalent motif in many natural and biologically active products, in particular in marine alkaloids. Thus, quinolines and 1,2-dihydroquinolines can be selectively obtained in moderate-to-good yields via intramolecular C–H alkenylation reactions, by choosing the reaction conditions. This methodology provides a direct method for the construction of this type of quinoline through an efficient and atom economical procedure, and constitutes significant advance over the existing procedures that require preactivated reaction partners.

Mechanistic insights into the selective cyclization of indolines with alkynes and alkenes to produce six- and seven-membered 1,7-fused indolines via Rh(iii) catalysis: a theoretical study

The origin of different partners for the coupling reaction determining the different products was rationalized.

Transition metal-catalyzed site- and regio-divergent C–H bond functionalization

The regioselectivity of C–H functionalization reactions can be redirected to obtain regioisomeric products form the same starting materials.

Recent progress in transition-metal-catalyzed enantioselective indole functionalizations

Recent progress on the transition-metal-catalyzed enantioselective functionalization reaction of indoles is reviewed, which is mainly focused on asymmetric indole alkylations, arylations, cycloaddition reactions, and other reactions.

Regiocontrolled direct C4 and C2-methyl thiolation of indoles under rhodium-catalyzed mild conditions

A straightforward and mild Rh(iii)-catalyzed remote C4 (sp²) and C2 (sp³)-methyl thiolation of an indole core was developed.

Synthesis of Diketohexenoic Acid Derivatives by Alkenylation of Indoles and Pyrroles with 4-Pyrones

A new synthesis of functionalized (Z)-6-hetaryl-2,4-dioxo-5-hexenoic acids based on acid-catalyzed alkenylation of indoles and pyrroles with derivatives of 5-substituted 4-pyrone-2-carboxylic acid in 37-82% yields has been developed. Coupling between isochelidonic acid and indoles followed by decarboxylation afforded biologically important (E)-6-indolyl-2,4-dioxo-5-hexenoic acids. These ring-opening reactions proceed with high regioselectivity through nucleophilic attack at the C-6 position of the pyrone ring. Reactions of ethyl 6-indolyl-2,4-dioxo-5-hexenoate with nucleophiles are useful for the production of different β-(indolyl)vinyl-containing azaheterocycles.

Merging Visible Light Photoredox Catalysis with Metal Catalyzed C-H Activations: On the Role of Oxygen and Superoxide Ions as Oxidants

The development of efficient catalytic systems for direct aromatic C–H bond functionalization is a long-desired goal of chemists, because these protocols provide environmental friendly and waste-reducing alternatives to classical methodologies for C–C and C–heteroatom bond formation. A key challenge for these transformations is the reoxidation of the in situ generated metal hydride or low-valent metal complexes of the primary catalytic bond forming cycle. To complete the catalytic cycle and to regenerate the C–H activation catalyst, (super)stoichiometric amounts of Cu(II) or Ag(I) salts have often been applied. Recently, “greener” approaches have been developed by applying molecular oxygen in combination with Cu(II) salts, internal oxidants that are cleaved during the reaction, or solvents or additives enabling the metal hydride reoxidation. All these approaches improved the environmental friendliness but have not overcome the obstacles associated with the overall limited functional group and substrate tolerance. Hence, catalytic processes that do not feature the unfavorable aspects described above and provide products in a streamlined as well as economically and ecologically advantageous manner would be desirable.

In this context, we decided to examine visible light photoredox catalysis as a new alternative to conventionally applied regeneration/oxidation procedures. This Account summarizes our recent advances in this expanding area and will highlight the new concept of merging distinct redox catalytic processes for C–H functionalizations through the application of visible light photoredox catalysis. Photoredox catalysis can be considered as catalytic electron-donating or -accepting processes, making use of visible-light absorbing homogeneous and heterogeneous metal-based catalysts, as well as organic dye sensitizers or polymers. As a consequence, photoredox catalysis is, in principle, an ideal tool for the recycling of any given metal catalyst via a coupled electron transfer (ET) process.

Here we describe our first successful endeavors to address the above challenges by combining visible light photoredox catalysis with different ruthenium, rhodium, or palladium catalyzed C–H activations. Since only small amounts of the oxidant are generated and are immediately consumed in these transformations, side reactions of substrates or products can be avoided. Thus, usually oxidant-sensible substrates can be used, which makes these methods highly suitable for complex molecular structure syntheses. Moreover, mechanistic studies shed light on new reaction pathways, intermediates, and in situ generated species. The successful development of our dual catalysis concept, consisting of combined visible light photoredox catalysis and metal catalyzed C–H functionalization, provides many new opportunities for further explorations in the field of C–H functionalization.

Reactivity of alkynylindole-2-carboxamides in [Pd]-catalysed C–H activation and phase transfer catalysis: formation of pyrrolo-diindolones vs. β-carbolinones

[Pd]-Catalysed reaction of 3-alkynylindole-2-carboxamidesviaC–H activation leads to pyrrolodiindolones; in contrast, under phase-transfer catalysis, the same precursors afford β-carbolinones.

Synthesis of indole-annulated sulfur heterocycles using copper-catalysed C–N coupling and palladium-catalysed direct arylation

A simple and efficient method for the synthesis of biologically relevant 5H-benzo[4,5][1,3]thiazino[3,2-a]indoles and 5,7-dihydroisothiochromeno[3,4-b]indoles has been developed via intramolecular copper catalysed Ullmann-type C–N coupling and palladium catalysed direct arylation.

Exploiting the σ-phylic properties of cationic gold(i) catalysts in the ring opening reactions of aziridines with indoles

Gold(i) species catalyze the ring opening reactions of aziridines with indoles as nucleophiles for the synthesis of tryptamines and pyrroloindolines.

A simple, modular synthesis of C4-substituted tryptophan derivatives

A straightforward, rapid, versatile, regio- and chemoselective approach for the synthesis of C4-substituted tryptophan derivatives is reported.

A Novel Pd-Catalysed Annulation Reaction for the Syntheses of Pyrroloindoles and Pyrroloquinolines

Pd-catalysed annulation reactions between indole derivatives and internal alkyne esters leading to various pyrrolo[1,2-a]indoles and pyrroloquinolines have been developed. The strategy involves an intermolecular addition of the indole nitrogen on to the internal alkyne ester followed by an intramolecular insertion of a vinyl-palladium complex into the carbonyl group. This method offers a facile and practical approach to pyrrolo[1,2-a]indoles and pyrroloquinolines.