Visible light-assisted H4[PW11VO40] catalysed synthesis of bis(indolyl)methanes
Gopika Jagannivasan, Gopika N. Nair, Suja Haridas
Abstract
The development of novel synthetic protocols for organic transformations is a key challenge in fine chemical synthesis. A novel light-assisted protocol for the synthesis of bis(indolyl)methanes (BIMs) over keggin-type phosphovanadotungstic acid is reported. The reported protocol offers an outstanding yield of BIMs in an aqueous medium in a short reaction time thereby eliminating the use of organic solvents and tedious work-up procedures. Thermal as well as light-assisted condensation of indoles and aldehydes proceeded efficiently giving a high yield of BIMs for a diverse spectrum of aldehydes irrespective of their substituent functionalities. The present protocol thus offers an operationally simple, scalable and versatile approach toward the synthesis of BIMs.