Synthesis and preliminary biological study of bisindolylmethanes accessed by an acid-catalyzed hydroarylation of vinyl indoles

An acid-catalyzed hydroarylation reaction of vinyl indoles is reported, which tolerates a wide range of heterocycles as the exogenous nucleophile, such as indoles, pyrroles, and indolizines. The method rapidly accesses the biologically relevant bisindolylmethane scaffold in good to excellent yields. Evaluation of the biological activity of several synthesized analogues reveals cytotoxic activity against and selectivity for the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.