Cp*CoIII-catalyzed C2-alkylation of indole derivatives with substituted cyclopropanols

A general and efficient Cp*Co^III-catalyzed C2-alkylation of N-pyridylindoles has been achieved utilizing cyclopropanols as an alkylating reagent. Employing the developed method, diverse C2-alkylated indoles were accomplished in good yield. Additionally, the synthesized C2-alkylated indoles were utilized for the construction of tetrahydrocyclopenta-[b]indole, and 2-(3,3-arylallyl)-1-(pyridin-2-yl)-1H-indoles. Additionally, a plausible mechanism was also proposed.