2,5-Hexanedione → 5-(2,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)-1H-indole

To a 250 mL argon purged round bottom flask containing a magnetic stirbar and a solution of 5-aminoindole (91) (15.00 g, 113 mmol) in anhydrous toluene (50 mL) was added acetonylacetone (25.4 mL, 216 mmol, 1.9 eq). The flask was fitted with a Dean-Stark trap with a 10 mL reservoir filled with toluene. The uppermost portion of the flask and the condensing arm of the trap were wrapped with foil and the reaction vessel placed into an oil bath preheated to a temperature of 125° C. The dark brown solution was allowed to stir under a continuous flow of argon at this temperature for 45 minutes, followed by draining of the trap solvent reservoir. After a total of 4 hours, TLC (5% ethyl acetate, 95% hexanes) revealed the reaction was complete. The reaction was cooled gradually to room temperature overnight. The reaction was poured onto a plug of silica gel and the solvent pulled through by vacuum filtration. The silica was washed with hexanes (200 mL). A white precipitate started to form almost immediately in the filtrate. The silica was washed again with a solution of 6% diethyl ether, 94% hexanes (800 mL). Crystals were collected from both washes, and the filtrates combined. The plug was washed with ether (150 mL) and the filtrate combined with the washes. The combined filtrates were concentrate to afford a brown oil. The oil was purified on the Biotage SP-1 (0-8% ether in hexanes). TLC revealed that all products were identical (white solids) and all products were combined. (Yield: 17.10 g of white solid, compound 92 (72%). 1H NMR (CDCl3) δ: 8.26 (bs, NH), 7.48-7.48 (d, 1H, J=1.2 Hz), 7.46-7.43 (d, 1H, J=8.7 Hz), 7.31-7.29 (t, 1H, J=2.7), 7.04-7.00 (dd, 1H, J=2.1, 8.4), 6.61 (s, 1H), 5.92 (s, 2H), 2.05 (s, 6H). MS-ESI m/z (%): 211 (M+, 100).