Hemetsberger indole synthesis
The Hemetsberger indole synthesis is a chemical reaction that thermally decomposes a 3-aryl-2-azido-propenoic ester into an indole-2-carboxylic ester.
Yields are typically above 70%. However, this is not a popular reaction, due to the lack of stability and difficulty in synthesizing the starting material.The mechanism is unknown. However, azirine intermediates have been isolated. The mechanism is postulated to proceed via a nitrene intermediate.
