One-pot gold-catalyzed aminofluorination of unprotected 2-alkynylanilines

Org Lett. 2013 Jun 7;15(11):2766-9. doi: 10.1021/ol401098b. Epub 2013 May 28.

Abstract

A tandem gold(I)-catalyzed aminocylization/fluorination and a two-step, one-pot gold(III)-catalyzed cyclization/electrophilic fluorination provide a convenient and general method for the synthesis of 3,3-difluoro-2-substituted-3H-indoles in good yield under mild conditions. Extension of the procedure to the synthesis of 2-aryl-3-fluoro-1H-indoles is described. The reaction proceeds smoothly in green ethanol and does not require any base, acid, or N-protective group.