The iron(II)-catalyzed domino isomerization of 3-alkyl/aryl-4-arylisoxazoles provides a selective access to a wide range of structurally diverse highly substituted indole-3-carboxylates. The operational simplicity, high atom efficiency, and the use of stable starting materials and an inexpensive and low-toxicity catalyst are some of the attractive features of this tandem double ring-opening–ring-closure strategy.
Key words
indoles - isoxazoles - isomerization - domino reactions - iron(II) chloride catalysis