N-Oxide as an Intramolecular Oxidant in the Baeyer–Villiger Oxidation: Synthesis of 2-Alkyl-2H-indazol-3-yl Benzoates and 2-Alkyl-1,2-dihydro-3H-indazol-3-ones

In this study, we describe the intramolecular Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of ketones to esters using N-oxide. 2-Nitro-N-alkyl-N-(2-oxo-2-phenylethyl)benzenesulfonamide compounds are known to undergo base-mediated C-arylation followed by N-N bond formation, producing unstable five-membered ring intermediates that spontaneously dehydrate to indazole oxides. We identified the reaction conditions under which the cyclic intermediate undergoes acid-mediated intramolecular Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of the ketone in which N-oxide serves as the intramolecular oxidizing agent. The solid-phase synthesis plays a critical role in the successful transformation, allowing rapid access to the unstable but Baeyer-Villiger oxidation-prone intermediate. This synthetic route provides practical access to 2-alkyl-2H-indazol-3-yl benzoates and 2-alkyl-1,2-dihydro-3H-indazol-3-ones, which are known privileged structures possessing remarkable diverse pharmacologically relevant activities.