Au(I)/Sc(III)-co-catalyzed tandem spiroannulation/cycloisomerization of 3-(2-ethynylaryl)- N-tosylaziridines with indoles to access 5 H-benzo[ b]carbazoles

Org Biomol Chem. 2024 Jul 24;22(29):5999-6003. doi: 10.1039/d4ob00782d.

Abstract

An unusual spiroannulation/cycloisomerization cascade of 3-(2-ethynylaryl)-N-tosylaziridines with indoles enabled by cooperative gold/scandium catalysis is presented, which facilitates the synthesis of 5H-benzo[b]carbazoles in moderate to excellent yields. This protocol features a broad substrate scope and good functional-group compatibility. Additionally, the resulting 5H-benzo[b]carbazoles exhibit good fluorescence properties, demonstrating the synthetic practicality of this method. Moreover, control experiments were performed to illustrate the reaction mechanism.