Ruthenium-Catalyzed Dehydrogenative N-Heterocyclization: Indoles from 2-Aminophenethyl Alcohols and 2-Nitrophenethyl Alcohols

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00289a036

Indole derivatives 3 were readily obtained from 2-aminophenethyl alcohols 1 in the presence of 2 mol percent (based on 1) of RuCl2(PPh3)3 under reflux in toluene.Indole (3a) was afforded from 2-aminophenethyl alcohol (1a) quantitatively.Other indoles (3) were also obtained in 73-99percent isolated yields from the corresponding 1, which were easily prepared by condensation between the corresponding 2-nitrotoluenes and aldehydes followed by reduction.During the reaction, a stoichiometric amount of hydrogen was spontaneously evolved into the gas phase.With a heterogeneous and homogeneous binary catalyst system, indoles were afforded in one pot from 2-nitrophenethyl alcohols 2 under a hydrogen atmosphere.