An efficient synthesis of 3-(indol-3-yl)quinoxalin-2-ones with TfOH-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts type coupling reaction in air

An efficient one-pot synthetic approach to access a variety of 3-(indol-3-yl)quinoxalin-2-ones from various quinoxalin-2-ones and very wide scope of indoles through TfOH-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts type coupling reaction in DMF has been developed. Only 10 mol % Brønsted acid as a catalyst, air as an oxidizer, and very wide range of substrates are the prominent advantages of this method.