A highly selective Ir-catalyzed borylation of 2-substituted indoles: a new access to 2,7- and 2,4,7-substituted indoles

The selective CH-functionalization of 2-substituted indoles is presented. Using bis(pinacolato)diboron (2) in the presence of iridium complexes, a novel catalytic mono-borylation is observed preferentially at the 7-position of the indole. This allows for an efficient synthesis of various 2,7-di- and 2,4,7-trisubstituted indoles, which are otherwise difficult to access. The scope and limitation of the method is demonstrated.