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The crystal structure of a novel product from the acid-catalyzed condensation of 1-benzylindole with acetone

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Abstract

The acid-catalyzed condensation of 1-benzylindole with acetone in the presence of N-phenylmaleimide gave a tetrahydrocarbazole, (4,5,10,10b-tetrahydro-5-methyl-2-phenyl-10-(phenylmethyl)pyrrolo[3,4-a]carbazole-1,3[2H, 3aH]-dione (1), as the major product and a novel spiro compound, 1′,3,4,4′-tetrahydro-1′,1′,3,3-tetramethyl-4,4′-bis(phenylmethyl)-1,3′(2H, 2′H)-spiro[cyclopent[b]indole] (2), as the minor product. The structure of the spiro compound was determined by an X-ray crystallographic determination. The acid-catalyzed condensation of 1-benzylindole with acetone in the absence of N-phenylmaleimide gave a bisindole, (1,1′-bis(phenylmethyl)-3,3′-(1-methylethylidene)diindole (3), as the major product and the spiro-compound as the minor product.

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Noland, W.E., Konkel, M.J., Fanburg, S.J. et al. The crystal structure of a novel product from the acid-catalyzed condensation of 1-benzylindole with acetone. Journal of Chemical Crystallography 29, 9–14 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009506927964

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009506927964

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