Benzocarbazole Synthesis via Visible-Light-Accelerated Rh(III)-Catalyzed C-H Annulation of Aromatic Amines with Bicyclic Alkenes

Acid-Promoted Domino Access to Substituted Benzo[b]carbazoles

Herein, a straightforward Bro̷nsted acids-promoted domino pathway to build substituted benzo[b]carbazoles has been described from easily accessible ortho-formyl (or ortho-acyl) cinnamate esters and indoles. Noticeably, the protocol was amenable to protecting group-free indoles. Notably, this methodology is based on a single-pot regioselective construction of two new C-C bonds and aromatization sequences under mild and metal-free reaction conditions. The mechanistic studies suggested the initial formation of bis-indole substituted intermediate via a dual aromatic substitution with two indole molecules at the carbonyl carbon of ortho-formyl (or ortho-acyl) cinnamate ester followed by intramolecular cyclization and aromatization with exclusion of a second indole molecule. Besides, the efficacy of this approach was also illustrated by scale-up and derivatization reactions, including the photophysical properties study.

Iodine-Catalyzed Annulation Reaction of Ortho-Formylarylketones with Indoles: A General Strategy for the Synthesis of Indolylbenzo[b]carbazoles

The iodine-catalyzed cascade reaction of ortho-formylarylketones with indoles for the synthesis of indolylbenzo[b]carbazoles is reported. The reaction is initiated in the presence of iodine by two successive nucleophilic additions of indoles with an aldehyde group of ortho-formylarylketones, and the ketone does not undergo a nucleophilic addition and only involves in the Friedel-Crafts-type cyclization. A variety of substrates are tested, and the efficiency of this reaction is demonstrated with gram-scale reactions.

Lewis Acid-Catalyzed 2,3-Dihydrofuran Acetal Ring-Opening Benzannulations toward Functionalized 1-Hydroxycarbazoles

The development of a Lewis acid-catalyzed, intramolecular ring-opening benzannulation of 5-(indolyl)2,3-dihydrofuran acetals is described. The resulting 1-hydroxycarbazole-2-carboxylates are formed in up to 90% yield in 1 h. The dihydrofuran acetals are readily accessed from the reactions of enol ethers and α-diazo-β-indolyl-β-ketoesters. To highlight the method's synthetic utility, a formal total synthesis of murrayafoline A, a bioactive carbazole-containing natural product, was undertaken.