Total syntheses of carazostatin (1), hyellazole (2a), and carbazoquino
cins B-F (3b-f) have been completed. The cross-coupling reaction betwe
en 3-iodoindole 8 and vinylstannane 11b gave the 3-alkenylindole 7. Tr
eatment of 7 with ethynylmagnesium bromide, followed by etherification
of the resulting alcohol 12 with MOMCl, yielded the 3-alkenyl-2-propa
rgylindole 6. The compound 6 was treated with t-BuOK in t-BuOH at 90 d
egrees C to obtain the desired carbazoles 4 together with the N-deprot
ected carbazole 13 through an allene-mediated electrocyclic reaction.
The carbazole 13a, derived from 4a or 4c, was converted into the trifl
ate 24 in two steps. The triflate 24 was subjected to the Suzuki cross
-coupling reaction with either 9-heptyl-9-BBN or phenylboronic acid in
the presence of a palladium catalyst to produce the 1-heptylcarbazole
25a and the 1-phenylcarbazole 25b. Cleavage of the ether bond of 25a
yielded carazostatin (1). Cleavage of the ether bond of 25b followed b
y O-methylation gave hyellazole (2a). Oxidation of carazostatin (1) wi
th benzene seleninic anhydride afforded carbazoquinocin C (3c). In a s
imilar way, carbazoquinocins B and D-F (3b, d-f) were synthesized, res
pectively.