A Palladium- and Copper-Catalyzed Synthesis of Dihydro[1,2-b]indenoindole-9-ol and Benzofuro[3,2-b]indolines: Metal-Controlled Intramolecular C-C and C-O Bond-Forming Reactions.

A palladium- and copper-catalyzed synthesis of dihydro[1,2-b]indenoindole-9-ol and benzofuro[3,2-b]indolines has been developed, whereby the same starting material is employed for the synthesis of both heterocyclic scaffolds and the selectivity of the product is controlled by switching the choice of metal. Salient features of these cascade reactions include wide-ranging functional group tolerance, simple reaction conditions, and moderate to high yields.