Volume 61, Issue 31 e202205159
Research Article

Catalytic Atroposelective Electrophilic Amination of Indoles

Jingyang Qin

Jingyang Qin

Hubei Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials and Medical Protective Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry & Materia Medica, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Luoyu Road 1037, Wuhan, 430074 China

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Tong Zhou

Tong Zhou

Hubei Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials and Medical Protective Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry & Materia Medica, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Luoyu Road 1037, Wuhan, 430074 China

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Tai-Ping Zhou

Tai-Ping Zhou

Hubei Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials and Medical Protective Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry & Materia Medica, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Luoyu Road 1037, Wuhan, 430074 China

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Langyu Tang

Langyu Tang

Hubei Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials and Medical Protective Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry & Materia Medica, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Luoyu Road 1037, Wuhan, 430074 China

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Honghua Zuo

Honghua Zuo

Hubei Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials and Medical Protective Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry & Materia Medica, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Luoyu Road 1037, Wuhan, 430074 China

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Huaibin Yu

Huaibin Yu

Hubei Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials and Medical Protective Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry & Materia Medica, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Luoyu Road 1037, Wuhan, 430074 China

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Prof. Guojiao Wu

Prof. Guojiao Wu

Hubei Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials and Medical Protective Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry & Materia Medica, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Luoyu Road 1037, Wuhan, 430074 China

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Prof. Yuzhou Wu

Prof. Yuzhou Wu

Hubei Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials and Medical Protective Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry & Materia Medica, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Luoyu Road 1037, Wuhan, 430074 China

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Prof. Rong-Zhen Liao

Corresponding Author

Prof. Rong-Zhen Liao

Hubei Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials and Medical Protective Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry & Materia Medica, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Luoyu Road 1037, Wuhan, 430074 China

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Prof. Fangrui Zhong

Corresponding Author

Prof. Fangrui Zhong

Hubei Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials and Medical Protective Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry & Materia Medica, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Luoyu Road 1037, Wuhan, 430074 China

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First published: 25 May 2022
Citations: 39

Graphical Abstract

The atroposelective electrophilic amination of indoles catalyzed by a chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) is reported. The reaction proceeds by asymmetric 1,6-addition to p-quinone diimines to deliver atropochiral N-sulfonyl-3-arylaminoindoles in good yields and with excellent ee values.

Abstract

Reported here is the first catalytic atroposelective electrophilic amination of indoles, which delivers functionalized atropochiral N-sulfonyl-3-arylaminoindoles with excellent optical purity. This reaction was furnished by 1,6-nucleophilic addition to p-quinone diimines. Control experiments suggest an ionic mechanism that differs from the radical addition pathway commonly proposed for 1,6-addition to quinones. The origin of 1,6-addition selectivity was investigated through computational studies. Preliminary studies show that the obtained 3-aminoindoles atropisomers exhibit anticancer activities. This method is valuable with respect to enlarging the toolbox for atropochiral amine derivatives.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available in the Supporting Information of this article.

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