General procedure for the synthesis of 7-cyanoindoles from 7-bromoindoles and zinc cyanide: Pd(PPh3)4 (103 mg, 0.09 mmol) was added to a mixture of 7-bromo-1H-indole (588 mg, 3 mmol) and Zn(CN)2 in degassed DMF (10 mL). The reaction vial was sealed and heated in a microwave reactor at 170 °C for 15 min. After completion of the reaction, the reaction mixture was diluted with EtOAc, washed sequentially with water and brine, and the organic phase was dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated in vacuum. The crude product was purified by column chromatography (eluent: 100% heptane to heptane/EtOAc 9:1) and the pure product was subsequently recrystallized from heptane. Yield: 350 mg (82%). [0321] 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 8.74 (br s, 1H), 7.86 (d, 1H, J = 8.0 Hz), 7.52 (d, 1H, J = 7.6 Hz), 7.34 (t, 1H, J = 2.6 Hz), 7.17 (t, 1H, J = 8.0 Hz), 6.65 (m, 1H).
