Copper-Mediated Direct C2-Cyanation of Indoles Using Acetonitrile as the Cyanide Source

• DOI: 10.1021/jo4014904
• Publication Date: 2013-08-19T21:33:31Z
• Authors: Changduo Pan; Hongming Jin; Pan Xu; Xu Liu; Yixiang Cheng; Chengjian Zhu
• Keywords: Cyanation; Nitrogen atom

A copper-mediated C2-cyanation of indoles using cheap and commercially available acetonitrile as the "nonmetallic" cyanide source was achieved through sequential C-C C-H bond cleavages. The installation a removable pyrimidyl group on indole nitrogen atom is key for this C2 selectivity. This approach provides novel alternative route leading to indole-2-carbonitrile.