ortho-Bromo(propa-1,2-dien-1-yl)arenes: substrates for domino reactions

J Org Chem. 2011 Nov 4;76(21):9060-7. doi: 10.1021/jo201679s. Epub 2011 Oct 13.

Abstract

o-Bromo(propa-1,2-dien-1-yl)arenes exhibit novel and orthogonal reactivity under Pd catalysis in the presence of secondary amines to form enamines (concerted Pd insertion, intramolecular carbopalladation, and terminative Buchwald-Hartwig coupling) and of amides to form indoles (addition, Buchwald-Hartwig cyclization, and loss of the acetyl group). The substrates for these reactions can be accessed in a reliable and highly selective two-step process from 2-bromoaryl bromides.