Tetraethoxysilane → Ethyl 2-(7-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocyclopenta[b]indol-3-yl)acetate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

2-Iodo-4-methoxyaniline (2.0 g, 8.03 mmol) and ethyl 2-(2-oxocyclopentyl)acetate (2.05 g, 12.1 mmol) were dissolved in DMF (30 mL) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (2.12 g, 10.4 mmol) and pyridium p-toluenesulfonate (PPTS) (0.081 g, 0.321 mmol) were added. The reaction mixture was heated and stirred at 135° C. for 4 h. After cooling to 120° C., DIEA (3.11 g, 24.09 mmol) and palladium (II) acetate (0.054 g, 0.241 mmol) were added. The reaction mixture was stirred for 3 h and then partitioned between ethyl acetate and water. The aqueous layer was extracted twice with ethyl acetate. The combined organic extracts were dried over sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure. The resultant solution was diluted with 50% ethyl acetate in hexanes and filtered through a pad of silica gel. The filtrate was concentrated and purified by silica gel column chromatography to give 1.9 g of ethyl 2-(7-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocyclopenta[b]indol-3-yl)acetate containing residual ethyl 2-(2-oxocyclopentyl)acetate. The mixture was dissolved in DCM (80 mL) and cooled to 0° C. Boron tribromide (21.0 mL, 21.0 mmol, 1.0 M in DCM) was added and the reaction was stirred for 1.5 h. Ice water was added and the reaction mixture was allowed to reach room temperature. The aqueous mixture was extracted three times with DCM. The combined organics were dried over sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue was purified by silica gel column chromatography to give the title compound (650 mg). LCMS m/z=260.3 [M+H]+; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ ppm 1.29 (t, J=7.2 Hz, 3H), 2.05-2.14 (m, 1H), 2.50 (dd, J=16.8, 11.2 Hz, 1H), 2.68-2.86 (m, 4H), 3.48-3.58 (m, 1H), 4.16-4.24 (m, 2H), 6.66 (dd, J=8.6, 2.4 Hz, 1H), 6.85 (d, J=2.4 Hz, 1H), 7.15 (d, J=8.7 Hz, 1H), 8.4 (s, 1H).

Provenance & Evidence