Synthesis of 6-nitro-4-sulfanyl-1H-indole derivatives from 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene

The synthesis of 6-nitro-4-sulfanyl-1H-indoles from 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) is described. The first step is the nucleophilic substitution of an ortho-nitro group with a thiol to give the corresponding sulfide. The latter were transformed into the corresponding enamines upon treatment with dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal (DMF DMA). The enamines were converted into the indoles applying the Batcho-Leimgruber synthetic protocol.