Acid-catalyzed highly diastereoselective and effective synthesis of 1,3-disubstituted tetrahydropyrano[3,4-b]indoles

We successfully explored for the first time that trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) can effectively catalyze the oxaPictet-Spengler reaction of secondary tryptophols and acetals to synthesize 1,3-disubstituted 1,3,4,9-tetrahydropyrano[3,4-b]indoles in high yield (up to >99%) and diastereoselectivity (>20:1). The secondary tryptophols were synthesized from indole-3-acetic acid. The one-pot synthesis of tetrahydropyrano[3,4blindoles was successfully developed from secondary tryptophols and in situ prepared acetals from aldehydes and trimethylorthoformate and thus the cost-efficiency of the protocol was effectively enhanced. Finally, the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of the 1,3-disubstituted tetrahydropyrano[3,4-b]indole was also demonstrated after enantioselective achievement of highly enantiopure secondary tryptophols. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.