Cyanoethylation of Nitroindoles

Department of Chemistry, Karnatak University, Dharwar-3 Received 8 March 1972. 4-, 5- and 6-Nitroindoles were subjected to cyanoethylation with acrylonitrile in presence· of benzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide to obtain the corresponding nitroindole-1- propionitriles. These nitriles on catalytic reduction with Raney nickel yielded the corresponding 1-(3-aminopropyl)aminoindoles. The nitriles were further hydrolysed to nitroindole-1-propionic acids. The nitroindole-1-propionitriles were also formylated to the respective 1-(2-cyanoethyl)nitroindole-3-aldehydes