“…On the basis of the carbonylative cyclization of related 2-substituted N -(2-haloaryl)-2-propenoates described by Torii et al, we initially used the same reaction conditions [Pd(OAc) 2 , PPh 3 , K 2 CO 3 , DMF, CO (20 atm), 120 °C] for the conversion of 1a , our model system, into the corresponding 2a . However, 2a was isolated only in 5% yield after 24 h along with a 76% yield of the recovered starting material and a 7% yield of indole, derived from the direct palladium-catalyzed cyclization of 1a . − Slightly better results, but still unsatisfactory from a synthetic point of view, were obtained prolonging the reaction time to 72 h ( 2a , 30%; recovered 1a , 53%; indole derivative, 13%).…”