Rhenium-Catalyzed Regiodivergent Addition of Indoles to Terminal Alkynes

Abstract

An efficient rhenium-catalyzed site-switchable addition of indoles to terminal alkynes is described. A variety of bisindolylalkane derivatives are expeditiously synthesized in high yields with excellent regioselectivity. Preliminary mechanistic study sheds light on the observed regiodivergent addition.