Gold-catalyzed and NaH-supported intramolecular cyclization of N-propargyl indole derivatives with pyrazole and pyrrole units attached to indole is described. An efficient route to the synthesis of pyrazolodiazepinoindole, pyrazolopyrazinoindole, and pyrrolopyrazinoindole has been established. First, N-propargyl 2-(1H-pyrazol-5-yl)-1H-indole and 2-(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-1H-indole were synthesized. Introduction of various substituents into the alkyne functionality was accomplished by Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction. Gold-catalyzed cyclization of pyrazoles having a terminal alkyne afforded the 6-exo-dig cyclization product. However, exclusive formation of 7-endo-dig cyclization products was observed with internal alkynes. On the other hand, cyclization with NaH only resulted in the formation of 6-exo-dig cyclization products regardless of the substitution of the alkyne functionality. Allenic intermediates were postulated for this outcome.

The gold-catalyzed reaction of pyrrole and indole oximes having a propargyl group attached to the nitrogen atom was studied. The selective 6-endo-dig mode of cyclization was observed for the terminal alkynes giving rise to the formation of pyrazine N-oxides in the presence of a gold catalyst. However, the reaction with substituted alkyne transferred the oxime functionality intramolecularly from one carbon atom to another via the 7-endo-dig cyclization process. This transformation is unprecedented in the literature and is named an oxime–oxime rearrangement.

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