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Indium metal as a reducing agent in organic synthesis

2001; Royal Society of Chemistry; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1039/b101712h

1472-7781

Michael R. Pitts, Justin R. Harrison, Christopher J. Moody,

Chemical Synthesis and Reactions

The low first ionisation potential (5.8 eV) of indium coupled with its stability towards air and water, suggest that this metallic element should be a useful reducing agent for organic substrates. The use of indium metal for the reduction of CN bonds in imines, the heterocyclic ring in benzo-fused nitrogen heterocycles, of oximes, nitro compounds and conjugated alkenes and the removal of 4-nitrobenzyl protecting groups is described. Thus the heterocyclic ring in quinolines, isoquinolines and quinoxalines is selectively reduced using indium metal in aqueous ethanolic ammonium chloride. Treatment of a range of aromatic nitro compounds under similar conditions results in selective reduction of the nitro groups; ester, nitrile, amide and halide substituents are unaffected. Likewise indium in aqueous ethanolic ammonium chloride is an effective method for the deprotection of 4-nitrobenzyl ethers and esters. Indium is also an effective reducing agent under non-aqueous conditions and α-oximino carbonyl compounds can be selectively reduced to the corresponding N-protected amine with indium powder, acetic acid in THF in the presence of acetic anhydride or di-tert-butyl dicarbonate. Conjugated alkenes are also reduced by indium in THF–acetic acid.