New method for the synthesis of indenes

摘要

A new two-step method was developed for the synthesis of 2-sulfonyl-substituted indenes from aromatic aldehydes. The reactions of 1-phenylsulfonyl-1-(trimethylsilyl)ethyklene with ortho-lithiated derivatives of aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes afford conjugate addition products whose subsequent cyclization gives substituted 2-sulfonylindenes in preparative yields. The reactions of 2-(phenylsulfonyl)indenes with Grignard reagents were studied. It was shown that the sulfonyl group can be replaced in the presence of iron(III) acetylacetonate.