Synthesis of substituted indoline and carbazole by benzyne-mediated cyclization-functionalization.

A benzyne-mediated synthesis of substituted indolines and carbazoles was developed. The reaction includes generation of benzyne using Mg(TMP)2·2LiCl as a base, cyclization, and trapping the resulting organomagnesium intermediate with an electrophile to provide a series of substituted indolines and carbazoles in a regiospecific manner. This was applied to a concise five-pot total synthesis of heptaphylline.