C4−H alkoxylation of 6-bromoindole and its application to the synthesis of breitfussin B

Abstract Subjecting 6-bromoindole to an iridium-catalysed triborylation-diprotodeborylation sequence followed by Chan-Evans-Lam coupling gives 6-bromo-4-methoxyindole in good overall yield. This indole C4−H alkoxylation process was used in a formal synthesis of the natural product breitfussin B.