We discovered that a reagent comprising a combination of PhBCl2 and nitriles was useful for syntheses of both 3-acylindoles and 1-(1H-indol-3-yl)alkylamine from indoles. The reaction proceeded selectively at the 3-position of indoles providing 3-acylindoles in moderate to high yields on treatment with the above reagent. Furthermore, the reaction provided the corresponding amine products in moderate
The generation of 3-indolylacyl radicals from the corresponding phenylselenoesters and the scope of their participation in intermolecularadditionreactions to carbon-carbon double bonds under both reductive and nonreductive conditions have been studied.