Ruthenium (II)‐Catalysed Regioselective C6 Alkylation of Indoles with Maleimides

Ruthenium (II)‐catalysed regioselective C6 alkylation of indole‐7‐carboxamides with maleimide has been described. Electronically diverse maleimides reacted with various indoles to furnish corresponding C6 substituted succinimide derivatives of indoles with 46‐89% yields. The reaction shows broad functional group tolerance. The synthetic utility of the reaction has been demonstrated through the conversion of the obtained product to the corresponding hexahydropyridazinyl derivative. We also studied the kinetics of the reaction through intermolecular competitive experiments with electronically distinct indole‐7‐carboxamides.