Antimony (III) Sulfate Catalyzed One-Pot Synthesis of 2,3-Disubstitutedindoles

A novel one-pot Fischer indole synthesis approach has been developed by using antimony (III) sulfate as the catalyst. Good yields were obtained after reacting phenylhydrazines hydrochlorides and ketones in refluxing methanol. The exclusive formation of 2,3- disubstituted indoles was observed in the reaction of ethyl methyl ketone with phenylhydrazines. One-pot synthesis of indole-3-propanol using dihydropyran has also been described. The use of reusable antimony (III) sulfate as a catalyst makes this method both economically and environmentally friendly.