Enantioselective Friedel-Crafts alkylation of indoles with alkylidene malonates catalyzed by N,N'-dioxide-scandium(III) complexes: asymmetric synthesis of beta-carbolines.

An efficient catalytic asymmetric Friedel-Crafts alkylation of indoles with alkylidene malonates has been developed by using a chiral N,N'-dioxide-Sc(OTf)(3) complex as the catalyst (see scheme). Some optically active intermediates containing the indole skeleton have been synthesized, such as indolepropionic acid, tryptamines, and beta-carbolines. The coordination between the scandium atom and the chiral N,N'-dioxide compound has been revealed by X-ray structure analysis.