Synthesis of 3-indolylimines from 3-acetamido-2-phenylindole

© 2020 Elsevier Science. All rights reserved Treatment of 3-acetamido-2-phenylindole with phosphoryl chloride generates an iminium chloride (or related) electrophile that can react with suitable indole nucleophiles at C3, C7 or C2 to form di-indolylketimines in moderate yield. Similar reactions of the diacetyl derivative of 2-aminobenzylalcohol give related mono-indolylketimines.