Photoredox Catalysis toward 2-Sulfenylindole Synthesis through a Radical Cascade Process

Org Lett. 2020 Jun 5;22(11):4266-4271. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.0c01297. Epub 2020 May 8.

Abstract

A radical cascade process initiated through visible-light induced thiyl radical coupling with ortho-substituted arylisocianides followed by an intramolecular cyclization and subsequent aromatization to access 2-sulfenylindoles is described. The key thiyl radicals are promptly generated via a hydrogen atom transfer event. The redox-neutral protocol features broad substrate scope, excellent functional group tolerance, and mild reaction conditions. Furthermore, the implementation of a continuous flow variant allows smooth scalability with a short residence time through process intensification.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't