Directing-Group-Assisted Manganese-Catalyzed Cyclopropanation of Indoles

The first manganese-catalyzed cyclopropanation of indoles is reported in moderate to excellent yield with methyl-2-diazo-2-arylacetates. This new strategy involved acetyl (COCH3) as the directing group and exhibited exceptional functional group tolerance. In the absence of stereodirecting groups the desired products were obtained as a mixture of diastereomers (7:3 → 8:2). Control experiments and DFT studies elucidated the probable pathway for the formation of cyclopropane-fused indole product. Deacetylation of the final products afforded both C3-substituted NH-indoles.