Achieving divergence in CH alkylation of substrates using feedstock chemicals is an attractive paradigm to enable the production of diverse products from the same starting materials. Herein, we report manganese-catalyzed CH alkylation of indole/indolines with alcohols, where product selectivity is achieved through catalyst control. By use of a molecularly defined PNP-Mn(I) complex, tandem double dehydrogenative CH alkylation of indoles is observed. In contrast, an NNN-Mn(II)-based catalyst system provides a diverse range of value-added bis(indolyl)methanes (BIMs) via an interrupted borrowing hydrogen strategy. The present strategy was successfully applied for sustainable, scalable synthesis of several life science molecules (vibrindole A, turbomycin B alkaloid, and antileukemic and anticancer agents) and natural products (gramine, dipterine, etc.).
展开▼