Pd-Catalyzed Asymmetric Dearomative Cycloaddition for Construction of Optically Active Pyrroloindoline and Cyclopentaindoline Derivatives: Access to 3a-Aminopyrroloindolines.

Asymmetric dearomative [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of 3-nitroindoles with vinyl aziridine and vinyl cyclopropanes have been respectively successfully developed in the presence of a chiral box/Pd(0) complex. A series of enantiomerically enriched 3a-nitro-hexahydropyrrolo[2,3-b]indole and 8b-nitrohexahydrocyclopenta[b]indole derivatives containing three contiguous chiral centers are smoothly obtained in high yields with satisfactory regio-, chemo-, and enantioselectivity. Remarkably, the synthetic utility of this process was demonstrated through direct reductive amination and functionalization of the carbon-carbon double bond of the desired products.