Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry 2010, 6, No. 3.
Celite to remove Pd/C, and the solvent was evaporated to give 27.8, 27.8, 60.5, 78.4, 82.9, 108.4, 120.2, 120.9, 121.8, 122.8,
the desired product 4 (170 mg, 0.83 mmol, 98%) as a colour- 127.8, 128.3, 133.5, 152.0, 155.0, 161.2, 162.8; IR (KBr): ν =
less solid: mp 146 °C; 1H NMR (400 MHz, [D6]DMSO, 25 °C): 3136 (w), 2974 (w), 2930 (w), 1717 (m), 1636 (m), 1360 (m)
δ = 1.34 (t, 3H), 4.34 (q, 2H), 5.38 (s, 2H), 6.41 (dd, 1H), 6.78- cm−1; HR-MS (ESI) calcd for [M+Na]+: 469.2058; found
6.86 (m, 2H), 7.02 (d, 1H), 11.40 (bs, 1H) ppm; 13C NMR 469.2096.
(100 MHz, [D6]DMSO, 25 °C): δ = 14.3, 60.3, 106.5, 108.1,
109.5, 121.5, 126.2, 127.3, 127.6, 134.6, 161.5; IR (KBr): ν = 2-(Ethoxycarbonyl)-1H-indole-7-guanidinium trifluoro-
3329 (s), 2996 (w), 2939 (w), 1668 (s), 1250 (s), 1215(s) cm−1; acetate (7): Trifluoroacetic acid (3 mL) was added to the ethyl
HR-MS (ESI) calcd for [M+H]+: 205.0972; found 205.0979.
7-[N,N’-bis-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)guanidino]-1H-indole-2-
carboxylate (6, 170 mg, 0.39 mmol), and the reaction mixture
N,N’-Di-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)thiourea (5): To a stirred solu- was stirred at room temperature for 2 h. The excess trifluoro-
tion of thiourea (570 mg, 7.50 mmol) in dry tetrahydrofuran acetic acid was removed in vacuo to give 7 as a colourless solid
(150 mL) sodium hydride (1.35 g, 33.80 mmol, 60% in mineral (140 mg, 0.39 mmol, 100%): mp > 240 °C; 1H NMR
oil) was added under argon atmosphere at 0 °C (ice bath). After (400 MHz, [D6]DMSO, 25 °C): δ = 1.35 (t, 3H), 4.36 (q, 2H),
5 min the ice bath was removed and the mixture was stirred for 7.13-7.26 (m, 7H), 7.69 (d, 1H), 9.29 (s, 1H), 12.11 (s, 1H)
additional 10 min at ambient temperature. The mixture was ppm; 13C NMR (100 MHz, [D6]DMSO, 25 °C): δ = 14.3, 60.6,
cooled to 0 °C again and di-tert-butyl dicarbonate (3.60 g, 16.50 108.7, 112.0, 120.7, 121.8, 122.8, 128.3, 128.9, 133.5, 156.4,
mmol) was added. After 40 min of stirring at 0 °C the ice bath 161.1; IR (KBr): ν = 3298 (w), 3193 (w), 3101 (w), 2955 (w),
was removed and the mixture was stirred for additional 3 h at 1699 (m), 1671 (s), 1255 (s) cm−1; HR-MS (ESI) calcd for
ambient temperature. The reaction was quenched by adding an [M+H]+: 247.1190; found 247.1215.
aqueous saturated solution of NaHCO3 (10 mL). Water
(200 mL) was added and the reaction mixture was extracted 7-Guanidinio-1H-indole-2-carboxylate (2): To a solution of
with ethyl acetate (3 × 75 mL). The collected organic layers the trifluoroacetate salt 7 (130 mg, 0.53 mmol) in water/THF
were dried over MgSO4, filtered and evaporated to dryness. The (1/4; 15 mL) LiOH·H2O (223 mg, 5.30 mmol) was added. The
white solid was purified by flash column chromatography on reaction mixture was heated to 40 °C and stirred for 8 h. The
silica gel (hexane/ethyl acetate = 1 : 1 + 0.5% triethylamine) to solvent was removed under reduced pressure and the residue
give N,N’-di-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)thiourea (5, 1.63 g, was dissolved in water (20 mL). The solution was acidified
5.92 mmol, 79%) as a colourless solid: mp 130 °C; 1H NMR dropwise with hydrochloric acid (0.1 molar) until a yellow solid
(400 MHz, [D6]DMSO, 25 °C): δ = 1.44 (s, 9H), 1.45 (s, 9H), precipitated at a pH = 6. The solid was filtered and to remove
8.96 (s, 1H), 9.14 (s, 1H) ppm; 13C NMR (100 MHz, inorganic salts again suspended in water (25 mL), some dioxane
[D6]DMSO, 25 °C): δ = 27.6, 82.5, 150.5, 178.7; IR (KBr): ν = (5 mL) was added. The mixture was heated to reflux for 40 min.
3160 (s), 2987 (m), 2933 (m), 1767 (m), 1718 (m), 1128 (s) The residue was filtered, and washed with water and afterwards
cm−1; HR-MS (ESI) calcd for [M+H]+: 277.1217; found with diethyl ether. The residue was dried in vacuo to give 2 as a
277.1056.
light brown solid (98 mg, 0.44 mmol, 84%): mp > 240 °C; 1H
NMR (400 MHz, [D6]DMSO, 25 °C): δ = 6.82 (s, 1H), 7.05 (t,
Ethyl 7-{N,N’-bis-[tert-(butoxycarbonyl)guanidino]}-1H- 1H), 7.15 (d, 1H), 7.43 (d, 1H), 7.99 (bs, 4H), 12.26 (bs, 1H),
indole-2-carboxylate (6): To a solution of ethyl 7-amino-1H- 13.07 (bs, 1H) ppm; 13C NMR (100 MHz, [D6]DMSO, 25 °C):
indole-2-carboxylate (4, 130 mg, 0.65 mmol), N,N’-di-(tert- δ = 103.4, 113.0, 118.1, 119.7, 122.0, 128.1, 129.6, 135.9,
butoxycarbonyl)thiourea (5, 185 mg, 0.65 mmol) and triethyl- 155.9, 166.4; IR (KBr): ν = 3327 (m), 3086 (m), 3724 (m),
amine (0.35 mL, 2.44 mmol) in dry dichloromethane (30 mL) 1397 (s), 737 (s) cm−1; HR-MS (ESI) calcd for [M+H]+:
was added 2-chloro-1-methyl-pyridinium iodide (297 mg, 219.0877; found 219.0884.
1.14 mmol) at 0° C and the mixture was stirred for 30 min. The
ice bath was removed and the reaction mixture was stirred at (2-Carboxy-1H-indole-7-yl)guanidinium picrate (2·H+): To a
ambient temperature for 24 h. The solvent was removed under suspension of the zwitterion 2 (20 mg, 0.09 mmol) in methanol
reduced pressure, and the residue was purified by flash column (4 mL) a saturated solution of picric acid in water (6 mL) was
chromatography on silica gel (ethyl acetate/hexane = 2:3) to added and the mixture was stirred for 24 h at ambient tempera-
give 6 (206 mg, 0.46 mmol, 71%) as a colourless solid: mp ture. The picrate salt crystallized and was filtered, washed
144 °C; 1H NMR (400 MHz, [D6]DMSO, 25 °C): δ = 1.28 (s, several times with methanol, and dried to provide the yellow
9H), 1.34 (t, 3H), 1.54 (s, 9H), 4.36 (q, 2H), 7.09 (t, 1H), 7.20 solid 2·H+ (35 mg, 0.08 mmol, 89%): mp > 240 °C; 1H NMR
(d, 2H), 7.60 (d, 1H), 9.73 (s, 1H), 11.56 (bs, 1H), 11.95 (bs, (400 MHz, [D6]DMSO, 25 °C): δ = 7.11-7.20 (m, 8H), 7.67 (d,
1H) ppm; 13C NMR (100 MHz, [D6]DMSO, 25 °C): δ = 14.3, 1H), 8.58 (s, 2H), 9.21 (s, 1H), 12.02 (s, 1H), 13.23 (bs, 1H)
Page 7 of 8
(page number not for citation purposes)