C-3 dicarbonyl indoles via oxidative cross-coupling of styrenes with indoles under metal-free conditions has been developed. Moreover, a broad scope of C-3 dicarbonyl indoles in moderate to good yields were obtained, and a plausible mechanism is proposed based on control and isotope-labeling experiments. A new and efficient method for the synthesis of C-3 dicarbonyl indoles via oxidative cross-coupling
The first C3-dicarbonylation of indoles was realized through direct oxidative cross-coupling of indoles with methyl ketones in the presence of molecular iodine and pyrrolidine. This reaction constructed a highly efficient indolyl diketones scaffold, which might be regarded as a useful biological and pharmacological tool in the exploration of therapeutic A2BAR modulators. The use of inexpensive molecular