Rh(III)-Catalyzed C-H Annulation of N-Nitrosoanilines with Iodonium Ylides for the Synthesis of N-Alkyl Indoles.

A novel protocol for synthesizing N-alkyl indoles from readily available N-nitrosoanilines and iodonium ylides through the rhodium(III)-catalyzed C-H bond activation/intramolecular cyclization reaction has been described. This strategy employs nitroso as a traceless directing group. The transformation features powerful reactivity, tolerates various functional groups, and proceeds with moderate yields under mild reaction conditions, providing a straightforward approach to access structurally diverse and valuable N-alkyl indole derivatives.