Copper catalysed domino decarboxylative cross coupling-cyclisation reactions: synthesis of 2-arylindoles

The efficient synthesis of 2-arylindoles and 6H-isoindolo[2,1-a]indol-6-one through copper catalysed domino sp-sp(2) decarboxylative cross-coupling and subsequent cyclisation reactions of arylpropiolic acids with 2-iodotrifluoroacetanilide has been described. This methodology also demonstrates that indolo[1,2-c]quinazolin-6(5H)-one can be obtained with the elimination of trifluoromethyl anion. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.