Cover Picture: Selective Ruthenium‐Catalyzed N‐Alkylation of Indoles by Using Alcohols (Chem. Eur. J. 12/2010)

Abstract

Borrowing hydrogen catalysis for an environmentally benign N‐alkylation of indoles with alcohols is described in a joint effort by M. Beller, J. Williams, and co‐workers in their Communication on This novel procedure occurs through an unusual “borrowing hydrogen” methodology by use of the Shvo catalyst. The protocol is operationally simple and mechanistically involves an in situ transfer hydrogenation of the indole.