Synthesis Of BIS(INDOLYL)Methane Derivatives Via Copper-Catalysed Regioselective C-H Functionalization Of Indole

Abstract

Considering the wide extent of applications of bis(indolyl)methanes in agrochemical and pharmaceutical industries, new and efficient methodologies for their synthesis have been in continuous demand. The C-H functionalisation of indoles has recently been a hot topic in organic chemistry being atom economic and environment friendly. Despite the usefulness of carbene insertion chemistry for C-H functionalization of indole, it suffers from certain drawbacks of carbene insertion at C-2 and N-1 positions of indoles. In order to invent an competent methodology for designing bis(indolyl)methanes (BIMs) having no substituent at methylene bridge, we described here a new methodology for the development of bis(indolyl)methanes using copper catalysed regioselective C-H functionalization of indoles using indole-3-tosylhydrazone as carbene precursor. Moreover, to the best of our understanding, this is the first report of using carbene insertion chemistry for synthesis of bis(indolyl)methanes. Further, being feasible to one-pot synthesis makes this method highly time saving and economical.