Highly enantioselective ring-opening reactions of aziridines with indole and its application in the building of C3-halogenated pyrroloindolines.

A magnesium-catalyzed asymmetric ring-opening reaction of aziridine with indole has been realized by employing commercially available chiral ligands. Both of the enantiomers of the ring-opening product could be obtained with good yields and a high level of enantioselectivity. The corresponding ring-opening product could be further transformed to various types of enantioenriched C3 -halogenated-pyrroloindolines.