Traceless synthesis of diketopiperazine fused tetrahydro-β-carbolines on soluble polymer support.

The Pictet-Spengler reaction, using polyethylene glycol immobilized tryptophan ester with a variety of ketones, was achieved by refluxing condition in acidic chloroform. The linear as well as cyclic ketones were employed. All the ketones were reacted within 6-8 h to furnish soluble polymer-supported tetrahydro-β-carboline in good yields. Further expansion at N-terminus of tetrahydro-β-carbolines was achieved through a reaction with chloroacetyl chloride. Finally, the 2,5-diketopiperazine skeleton was constructed over a β-carboline by amination of the resulting N-chloroacetamides and subsequent intramolecular cyclization leading to cleavage of the polymer; constitutes a traceless synthesis of tetracyclic molecular architecture. Significantly, this strategy affords a straightforward and efficient approach for the construction of biological promising molecules with high purity and good yields.