A complementary site selective ortho- vs ipso-amination of aryl halides using non-electrophilic amine sources for construction of indole scaffolds is reported. A palladium-catalyzed alkyne insertion/C–H activation/palladacycle amination via merger of three easily diversified components including iodoarenes, alkynes, and amines delivers indoles with different substitution patterns even in gram scales. By employing ortho-bromoanilines, a consecutive annulative π-extension of indoles proceeds to construct indolo­[1,2-f]­phenanthridine scaffolds via four C–C and C–N bond formations in one pot.

We describe the development of a new method for construction of highly substituted indole scaffolds through the strategic utilizing of the metathesis of Ar-X σ-bonds based on the dynamic nature of palladium-based oxidative addition/reductive elimination. A suitable and simple catalytic system has provided an appropriate platform for a productive ligand exchange and consecutive carbopalladation/C–H activation/amination of phosphine ligands with alkynes and aromatic/aliphatic amines for construction of structurally diverse indoles.

A mild, scalable iodine-mediated oxidative cross-coupling reaction of arylhydrazines and thiols for construction of thioethers (sulfides) in the absence of any transition metals or photocatalysts is disclosed. A variety of unsymmetrical diaryl sulfides with broad substrate scope both on thiols and hydrazines were synthesized in high yields in water at room temperature. Furthermore, to demonstrate the utility of the protocol, the above C–S bond formation was applied in the synthesis of the key structure of vortioxetine as an antidepressant drug. The gram-scale outcome also added to the potential utility of this protocol.

Background The present single-center clinical trial was designed to evaluate the potential benefits of L-carnitine supplementation in patients with COVID-19 disease. Methods and patients The study was conducted on 75 patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 hospitalized in Shahid Beheshti Hospital-Hamadan, IRAN. The participants were randomly divided into intervention ( n = 32) and control groups ( n = 43). The control group received their standard hospital treatment only. In addition to standard medications, the intervention group received 3000 mg oral L-carnitine daily in three divided doses for five days. The blood samples were collected and para-clinical parameters were measured at the beginning and end of the treatment. Clinical outcomes were also recorded, and data were analyzed using χ 2 and t -tests. Results Higher means of O2 saturation were observed in the intervention rather than in the control group. Mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly lower in the intervention group. Furthermore, mean alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were lower in the intervention group. Also, lower mean serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) was observed in the intervention group. No significant differences were observed in terms of clinical symptoms; however, six patients (14%) in the control group died due to the complications of COVID-19, while all patients in the intervention group survived. Conclusion Taken together, L-carnitine can be considered as a drug supplement in patients with COVID-19. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43440-022-00402-y.

An efficient procedure has been developed to synthesize ­indoline derivatives through a palladium-catalyzed Heck reaction/C–H activation/dual amination cascade in one pot. This constitutes the first intermolecular catalytic approach to directly access N-alkylindolines with a broad substrate scope in the absence of any ligands. This method highlights the use of readily available amines and ureas as the required nitrogen sources in building up the indoline core.