Note Boric acid promoted convenient synthesis of bis (indolyl) methane in aqueous medium

An efficient reaction of indole with various aldehydes using catalytic amount of boric acid in aqueous medium to afford the corresponding bis(indolyl) methane is reported. The products are obtained in excellent yields. The aqueous medium provides safety as well as economic and environmental benefits. When compared to other reported methods, decreased reaction time leads to a novel and particularly attractive avenue for the rapid generation of structurally diverse libraries. Simple reaction conditions, easy isolation and high yields of the products and environmentally benign medium are the attractive features of this method.