Examination of the mechanism of Rh(2)(II)-catalyzed carbazole formation using intramolecular competition experiments

Efficient synthesis of 3H-indoles enabled by the lead-mediated α-arylation of β-ketoesters or γ-lactams using aryl azides

The development of a lead-mediated α-arylation reaction between aryl azides and β-ketoesters or γ-lactams that facilitates the formation of 3H-indoles is disclosed. Twenty-five examples are included which demonstrate the generality of this reaction to access aryl azides bearing tetrasubstituted o-alkyl substituents. When paired with a Staudinger reduction, this reaction streamlines the synthesis of functionalized 3H-indoles.

Theoretical studies of iron(III)-catalyzed intramolecular C-H amination of azides

Density functional theory calculations have been carried out to study the reaction mechanism of the [Fe(III)(F20TPP)Cl] catalyzed C-H amination reaction. The calculations show that the classical three-step mechanism for other metals (Ru, Rh, Ir and Zn), including N2 liberation, C-N bond formation and 1,2-hydrogen shift, does not fit the iron(III)-catalyzed system. After N2 liberation, the favorable reaction pathway for the iron(iii)-catalyzed system is a 1,2-hydrogen shift preceding C-N bond formation, i.e., a H-abstraction/radical rebound mechanism.

Rh2(II)-catalyzed selective aminomethylene migration from styryl azides

Rh(2)(II)-carboxylate complexes were discovered to promote the selective migration of aminomethylenes in β,β-disubstituted styryl azides to form 2,3-disubstituted indoles. Mechanistic data are also presented that suggest that the migration occurs stepwise before diffusion of the iminium ion.

Rh2(II)-catalyzed intramolecular aliphatic C-H bond amination reactions using aryl azides as the N-atom source

Rhodium(II) dicarboxylate complexes were discovered to catalyze the intramolecular amination of unactivated primary, secondary, or tertiary aliphatic C-H bonds using aryl azides as the N-atom precursor. While a strong electron-withdrawing group on the nitrogen atom is typically required to achieve this reaction, we found that both electron-rich and electron-poor aryl azides are efficient sources for the metal nitrene reactive intermediate.

Ruthenium-catalyzed γ-carbolinium ion formation from aryl azides; synthesis of dimebolin

A range of γ-carbolines were produced stereoselectively from ruthenium(III)-catalyzed reactions of 3-pyridyl substituted aryl azides. Other catalysts and conditions were neither as selective nor as high-yielding. This method was used to synthesize dimebolin in a concise and efficient manner.

Rh2(II)-catalyzed nitro-group migration reactions: selective synthesis of 3-nitroindoles from β-nitro styryl azides

Rhodium carboxylate complexes (1 mol %) catalyze the migration of electron-withdrawing groups to selectively produce 3-substituted indoles from β-substituted styryl azides. The relative order of migratorial aptitude for this transformation is ester ≪ amide < H < sulfonyl < benzoyl ≪ nitro.