Role of the base Cs2CO3 on the palladium-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of two bromoindole derivatives to yield paullone-type products

Reactions for the palladium-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of the o-bromoindole and the o-bromo-N-methyl-indole derivatives in the presence and absence of base (Cs2CO3) were explored through DFT calculations. For the base-free reactions, the palladium atom firstly interacts with the aromatic rings of the indole molecule to yield a stable adduct. Once this adduct has been formed, reaction proceeds readily to the oxidative addition intermediate that arises from the insertion of the metal atom into the C-Br bond of the organic fragment. Further steps leading to the paullone (or dimethyl paullone) product, mainly those involving the metalation and deprotonation of the inserted intermediate, are not energetically viable for these reactions. When the effect of the base on the metalation-deprotonation steps is modeled by replacing the bromide ion with CO32- in the metal-inserted structure, a feasible pathway connecting the oxidative addition intermediate with the paullone-type product was located for each of the investigated reactions. The results emerging from this study suggest that palladium can insert into the C-Br bond of the indole derivatives to yield the oxidative addition intermediate (without participation of the base). However, the metalation and deprotonation steps that evolve to the paullone-type product take place via a concerted action involving both the metal and the base.Graphical abstract Metalation and deprotonation steps that evolve to the paullone-type product take place via a concerted action involving both the metal and the base.