Palladium−phenanthroline complexes efficiently catalyze the reaction of nitroarenes with arylalkynes and CO to give 3-arylindoles by an ortho-C−H functionalization of the nitroarene ring. Both electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituents are tolerated on the nitroarene, except for bromide and activated chloride. Nitroarenes bearing electron-withdrawing substituents react faster, but the selectivity
A copper-mediatedintramolecular aza-Wacker-type cyclization was developed for the direct and efficient synthesis of 3-aryl indoles using 2-alkenylanilines in moderate to good yields with good functional group compatibility. This strategy shows the high efficiency, operational simplicity as well as broad substrate scope.