A Water-Soluble Rhenium(I) Catalyst for the Regio- and Stereoselective C(sp)-H Alkenylation of -Pyridyl-/-Pyrimidylindole and the N-H Alkenylation of -Pyrimidylaniline Derivatives with Ynamides.

A water-soluble and low-valent rhenium(I) catalyst for the C2 alkenylation of -pyridyl/-pyrimidylindole derivatives with ynamides under mild conditions using water as the solvent has been described. The reaction of -pyridyl/-pyrimidyl indole with the ynamide afforded the C2--selective alkenylation derivative as the sole product, and the reactions of -pyrimidylanilines delivered the corresponding -alkenylated product rather than the expected C-H alkenylation products in high yields under the same conditions.