Synlett 2020; 31(02): 194-198
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1691532
letter
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Transition-Metal-Free Aerobic Oxidative Cross-Coupling of Indoles with Arylidenemalononitriles

Aizhen Yang
,
Zheng Li
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. of China   Email: lizheng@nwnu.edu.cn
› Author Affiliations
The authors thank the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21462038) for the financial support of this work.
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 09 October 2019

Accepted after revision: 01 December 2019

Publication Date:
10 December 2019 (online)


Abstract

An efficient method for the direct construction of C(sp2)–C(sp2) bonds by aerobic oxidative cross-coupling of indoles with arylidenemalononitriles is described. Various [aryl(1H-indol-3-yl)methylene]malononitriles were efficiently synthesized by using air as an oxidant under mild conditions. The salient features for this protocol are no transition-metal catalysts, no organometallic reagents, high atom economy, high yield, mild conditions, and simple workup procedures.

Supporting Information