Sodium hypophosphite catalyzed synthesis of bis (indolyl) methanes in aqueous medium

Rasokkiyam Elayaraja^a,b and R. Joel Karunakaran^b* 
aResearch and Development Centre, Orchid Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Shozhanganallur, Chennai-600119. India.
^bDepartment of Chemistry, Madras Christian College, Tambaram, Chennai-600059, India.

A B S T R A C T
A mild method of sodium hypophosphite catalyzed synthesis of bis(indolyl)methanes has been described. This electrophilic bisubstitution reaction between indole and aldehyde were carried out in aqueous medium. The salient features of the procedure are high yields and simple work up in isolating the products.
Keywords: Indole, Aldehydes, Sodium Hypophosphite, Bis(Indolyl)Methane, Aqueous Medium.