Syntheses of 7-fluoro- and 6,7-difluoroserotonin and 7-fluoro- and 6,7-difluoromelatonin

The Abramovitch adaption of the Fischer indole synthesis gave low yields of 7-fluoro-5-methoxytryptamine due in part to decomposition during the required decarboxylation step. Therefore, 7-fluoro- and 6,7-difluoro-5-methoxytryptamines were prepared by reaction of aminobutyraldehyde (generated in situ from the diethyl acetal) with 2-fluoro- and 2,3-difluoro-4-methoxyphenylhydrazine, and the products converted to the corresponding serotonins. The melatonins were prepared by a one-pot reaction that involved in situ acetylation of the aminobutyraldehyde.