Diethyl Oxalate → 6-Methyl-4-nitro-1H-indole

Temperature

40 °C

A solution of 2,5-dimethyl-3-nitroaniline from Step A (1.21 g, 7.26 mmol) and p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate (2 mg, 0.011 mmol) in freshly distilled triethyl orthoformate (1.65 mL, 9.92 mmol) was heated at 120° C. for 45 min in a distillation apparatus, and about 0.4 mL of EtOH distilled over. Vacuum distillation of the residual solution yielded ethyl 2,5-dimethyl-3-nitrophenylimidoformate (b.p.=146° C., ca. 2 mm Hg) as a pale yellow solid. To a solution of diethyl oxalate (868 mg, 5.94 mmol) in DMF (2 mL), at 0° C., was added potassium ethoxide (435 mg, 5-17 mmol) and the resulting solution was added to a solution of ethyl 2,5-dimethyl-3-nitrophenylimidoformate (880 mg, 3.96 mmol) in DMSO (3 mL). The reaction mixture was heated at 40° C. for 1 h than quenched with H2O (30 mL) and extracted with EtOAc (2×50 mL). The combined organic layers were washed with brine, then dried over Na2SO4, filtered, and concentrated in vacuo. The crude product was purified by silica gel chromatography, eluting with a gradient of hexane:EtOAc—100:0 to 0:100, to give the title compound. MS: m/z=177 (M+1).

1. customthan quenched with H2O (30 mL)
2. extractionextracted with EtOAc (2×50 mL)
3. washThe combined organic layers were washed with brine
4. dry with materialdried over Na2SO4
5. filtrationfiltered
6. concentrationconcentrated in vacuo
7. customThe crude product was purified by silica gel chromatography
8. washeluting with a gradient of hexane

ORD record

ord-4bdea3792b574d7498644d8c5abda336

Source dataset

uspto-grants-2011_05

DOI

10.6084/m9.figshare.5104873.v1

Patent number

US07947677B2