140 years ago Adolf von Baeyer proposed the structure of a heteroaromatic compound which revolutionized organic and medical chemistry: indole. After more than a century, indole itself and the complexity of naturally occurring indole derivatives continue to inspire and influence developments in synthetic chemistry. In particular, the ubiquitous presence of indole rings in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and functional materials are testament to the ever increasing interest in the design of mild and efficient synthetic routes to functionalized indole derivatives. This Review emphasizes the achievements in the selective catalytic functionalization of indoles (C-C bond-forming processes) over the last four years.

Catalytic Functionalization of Indoles in a New Dimension

2.1.8. Michael Reaction 2245 2.1.9. Others 2247 2.2. Cyclization Reactions 2248 2.2.1. Carbon Diels−Alder Reactions 2248 2.2.2. Aza-Diels−Alder Reactions 2252 2.2.3. Other Hetero-Diels−Alder Reactions 2255 2.2.4. Ionic Diels−Alder Reaction 2256 2.2.5. 1,3-Dipolar Cycloadditions 2256 2.2.6. Other Cycloaddition Reactions 2258 2.2.7. Prins-type Cyclization 2259 2.3. Friedel−Crafts Acylation and Alkylation 2259 2.4. Baylis−Hillman Reaction 2263 2.5. Radical Addition 2264 2.6. Heterocycle Synthesis 2267 2.7. Diazocarbonyl Insertion 2270 3. C−X (X ) N, O, P, Etc.) Bond Formation 2271 3.1. Aromatic Nitration and Sulfonylation 2271 3.2. Michael Reaction 2272 3.3. Glycosylation 2273 3.4. Aziridination 2275 3.5. Diazocarbonyl Insertion 2276 3.6. Ring-Opening Reactions 2277 3.7. Other C−X Bond Formations 2280 4. Oxidation and Reduction 2280 4.1. Oxidation 2280 4.2. Reduction 2281 5. Rearrangement 2283 6. Protection and Deprotection 2285 6.1. Protection 2285 6.2. Deprotection 2288 7. Polymerization 2291 8. Miscellaneous Reactions 2291 9. Lanthanide(II) Triflates in Organic Synthesis 2295 10. Conclusion 2295 11. Acknowledgment 2295 12. References 2295

Rare-earth metal triflates in organic synthesis

Bismuth nitrate-catalyzed versatile Michael reaction was developed to reduce the complications that characterize the current standard Michael reaction and used for facile preparation of organic compounds of widely different structures. For example, several substituted amines, imidazoles, thio compounds, indoles, and carbamates were prepared at room temperature by following this method. In contrast with the existing methods using many acidic catalysts, this method is very general, simple, high-yielding, environmentally friendly, and oxygen and moisture tolerant. However, the promoting role of bismuth nitrate in this reaction is not understood at this time.

Bismuth Nitrate-Catalyzed Versatile Michael Reactions†

Vor 140 Jahren schlug Adolf von Baeyer die Struktur fur eine heteroaromatische Verbindung vor, die die organische und medizinische Chemie nachhaltig veranderte: Indol. Nach mehr als einem Jahrhundert beeinflussen Indol selbst, ebenso wie naturliche Indolderivate, weitgehend die Entwicklung in der Synthesechemie. Vor allem die allgegenwartige Prasenz des Indolrings in pharmazeutischen und agrochemischen Verbindungen sowie seine Verwendung in der Materialchemie sind ausschlaggebend fur das anhaltende Interesse an der Entwicklung von neuen milden und effizienten Synthesestrategien fur funktionalisierte Indolderivate. Dieser Aufsatz fasst die Fortschritte hinsichtlich der selektiven katalytischen Funktionalisierung von Indolen (durch C-C-Kupplung) aus den vergangenen vier Jahre zusammen.

Katalytische Funktionalisierung von Indolen in einer neuen Dimension

Low sensitivity toward traces of moisture and high tolerance of different functional groups make indium tribromide suitable for carrying out multistep synthetic sequences. In particular, we have realized a 1,4-conjugated addition of indoles/thiols to α,β-unsaturated ketones mediated by a catalytic amount (10 mol %) of InBr3 obtaining the desired β-substituted ketones in good yields. The Lewis acidity of indium salts was not affected by coordinating and acid nucleophiles; therefore, the subsequent catalytic 1,2-addition of Me3SiCN to carbonyl compounds can be performed in one pot. With the optimized atom-efficient protocol, several polyfunctionalized α-silyloxy cyanohydrins were synthesized in good to excellent yields (up to 97%) and a notable level of simple 1,3-diastereoselection (up to 84:16) was recorded in the case of 2-cyclohexen-1-one 2c.

Zafar Iqbal

Papers

Reactions on solid supports part IV: Reactions of αβ-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with indoles using clay as catalyst