Triethylborane (TEB) was found to be a mild, efficient, and acid catalyst in electrophilic substitution reaction of indoles with aldehydes compounds to afford the corresponding bis(indolyl)methanes. Vibrindole A (5) and bis(indolyl)methanes derivatives 16 and 18 were synthesized using this methodology. Compound 16 is an intermediary in the synthesis of the natural bisindoles arsindoline B (2) and streptindole (6). The structure of vibrindole A (5) was unequivocally confirmed by a single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.
Keywords: Arsindoline B; bis(indolyl)methanes; indole; streptindole; triethylborane.