This Perspective article from Rubén Vicente at the University of Oviedo, Spain, reviews the most relevant and inventive approaches towards the preparation of the ubiquitous indole motif in the last five years.
Areas covered in this review:
- Indole syntheses from o-alkynylanilines and derivatives
- Indole syntheses from o-haloanilines
- Indole syntheses from o-alkynylhaloarenes or o-dihaloarenes
- Indole syntheses from b-(pseudo)halostyrene derivatives
- Indole syntheses from o-propargylanilines
- Indole syntheses from acetophenone derivatives
- Indole syntheses from arylhydrazines and related compounds
- Indole syntheses via nitrene or carbene insertions
- Indole syntheses via processes involving a C–C- or N–N-cleavage
- Indole syntheses through C–H-bond functionalizations
Despite the impressive list of clever synthetic routes presented, Dr Vicente highlights that more sustainable and efficient routes are still needed for future developments – so why not take a look and get synthesising? The article is free to access for four weeks:
Recent advances in indole syntheses: New routes for a classic target
Rubén Vicente
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1OB05750B, Perspective
