Ir-catalyzed C-H borylation is found to be compatible with Boc protecting groups. Thus, pyrroles, indoles, and azaindoles can be selectively functionalized at C-H positions beta to N. The Boc group can be removed on thermolysis or left intact during subsequent transformations.

The polarity reversible nature of azomethine imines as the crucial transformation enables the tandem Michael addition/imine isomerization/[3+2] cycloaddition to proceed under mild, transition-metal-free conditions to form cyclohepta[b]pyrroles in a single operation starting from readily available acyclic precursors with a broad substrate scope.

Titanium-catalyzed hydroamination of 1,4- and 1,5-diynes by primary amines leads to imino-alkynes that undergo in situ 5-endo dig and 5-exo dig cyclization reactions, respectively. The products are 1,2,5-trisubsituted pyrroles accessed directly from readily available diyne starting materials.

Arylsulfinyl groups direct the metal-free, regiospecific, nucleophilic ortho-allylation of pyrroles and pyrazoles. Mechanistic studies support the intermediacy of allylsulfonium salts that undergo facile thio-Claisen rearrangement onto the heterocyclic ring, giving products of coupling. The strategy has been adapted to allow regiospecific propargylation of the heterocyclic substrates.

A novel strategy has been identified for the regioselective synthesis of 3,4-disubstituted quinolines and 2,3,5-trisubstituted pyrroles from simple alkenes via anti-Markovnikov selectivity under palladium catalysis. The salient features are synthesis of two different heterocycles, readily available starting materials, broad substrate scope, moderate to good yields and use of molecular oxygen as...

Polysubstituted pyrroles were efficiently synthesized in moderate yields by a one-pot multicomponent reaction starting from primary amines, ethyl glyoxalate and 2-bromoacetophenones in the presence of pyridine in refluxing acetonitrile. This methodology was utilized to synthesize a highly substituted benz[g]indole.

Substituted pyrroles were prepared by a gold(I)-catalyzed acetylenic Schmidt reaction of homopropargyl azides. The reaction allows for regiospecific substitution at each position of the pyrrole ring under mild conditions. A mechanism in which azides serve as nucleophiles toward gold(I)-activated alkynes with subsequent gold(I)-aided expulsion of dinitrogen is proposed.

N-Sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles reacted with alkynes in the presence of a nickel(0)/phosphine catalyst to give substituted pyrroles, with the extrusion of molecular nitrogen; the triazole moiety isomerised to an alpha-imino diazo species, and the denitrogenative addition to nickel(0) was followed by the insertion of alkynes and reductive elimination.