Sodium Hydroxide → 6-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-indole

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

6-Methyl indole (0.50 g, 3.8 mmol) was dissolved in glacial acetic acid (19.1 mL) and cooled to 0° C. Sodium cyanoborohydride (0.48 g, 7.6 mmol) was added portionwise and the mixture warmed to ambient temperature and stirred for 2 h. The reaction was diluted with water (8.0 mL), made alkaline with 40% aqueous NaOH and extracted with EtOAc (3×10 mL). The combined organic extracts were washed with brine (3×30 mL), dried over sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated. Purification by column chromatography on silica gel (gradient elution, 0-100% EtOAc/petrol), gave the title compound (0.256 g, 51%) as a purple oil. 1H NMR (Me-d3-OD): 6.96 (1H, d), 6.53 (2H, d), 3.44 (2H, t), 2.94 (2H, t), 2.23 (3H, s).

Provenance & Evidence