2,3-Dihaloanilines have been proved as useful
starting materials for synthesizing 4-halo-1H-indoles. Subsequent
or in situ functionalization of the prepared haloindoles
allows the access to a wide variety of 2,4- or 2,3,4-regioselectively
functionalized indoles in good overall yields. As no
efficient synthetic routes to 2,3-dihaloanilines have been described
in the literature, different approaches to the preparation
of these 1,2,3-functionalized aromatic precursors are now
presented. The most general one involves a Smiles rearrangement
from the corresponding 2,3-dihalophenols and allows the preparation of 2,3-dihaloanilides in a straightforward and
synthetically useful manner.
