Co(III)-Catalyzed, N-Amino-Directed C-H Coupling with 4-Hydroxy-2-alkynoates for Indole Synthesis

Conventional synthetic organic chemistry typically relies on site-centered reactivity for the reaction discovery. Herein, skeleton-chaperoned reactivity is exploited for reaction development, with the skeleton utilized as a structural scaffold for assisting functional group activation into a proper reactivity sequence. A Co(III) catalytic method has been developed for N-amino-directed C-H coupling with 4-hydroxy-2-alkynoates, allowing convenient access to 2-alkene-3-carboxylic acid type indole derivatives. This reaction features phenyl/pyrrole/lactone skeleton-chaperone reactivity and simultaneous conversion of five functional groups.