Palladium-Catalyzed Method for the Synthesis of Carbazoles via Tandem C−H Functionalization and C−N Bond Formation

The development of a new method for the assembly of unsymmetrical carbazoles is reported. The strategy involves the selective intramolecular functionalization of an arene C−H bond and the formation of a new arene C−N bond. The substitution pattern of the carbazole product can be controlled by the design of the biaryl amide substrate, and the method is compatible with a variety of functional groups. The utility of the new protocol was demonstrated by the concise synthesis of three natural products from commercially available materials.