Gold/scandium bimetallic relay catalysis of formal [5+2]- and [4+2]-annulations: access to tetracyclic indole scaffolds

Regiodivergent formal [5+2]- and [4+2]-annulation reactions of indole derivatives with 2-(2-alkynyl)aryl cyclopropane-1,1-diesters (ACPs) have been developed. A series of tetracyclic indole derivatives were delivered in a 77% average yield with excellent regioselectivities enabled by Au(I)/Sc(III) bimetallic relay catalysis. A gram-scale reaction and further transformation of the resulting tetracyclic indoles demonstrated the practical utility of this protocol. Moreover, the photophysical properties of the obtained multicyclic compounds were also investigated.