Application of Ynamides in the Synthesis of 2-Amidoindoles

A Pd-catalyzed, one-pot, two-step synthesis of 2-amidoindoles from ynamides and o-iodoanilines is reported. A key highlight of this sequence is that after the Sonogashira reaction, intramolecular cyclization to the indole occurs spontaneously without activation of the alkyne.