Platinum-catalysed bisindolylation of allenes: a complementary alternative to gold catalysis

Abstract

Pt versus Au: Platinum-catalysed addition of nucleophiles to allenes follows a distinctly different pathway to the process catalysed by gold(I) complexes; the platinum catalyst leads to different products with indoles involving a bisindolylation reaction, whereas gold(I) gives allyl indoles from a single addition (see scheme).