We describe the synthesis of 1,1'- and 2,2'-bicarbazoles by oxidative homocoupling of 2- and 1-hydroxycarbazoles. The oxidative coupling using catalytic amounts of F PcFe can be applied to both groups of substrates. Although F PcFe generally provides the best yields for the synthesis of 1,1'-bicarbazoles, di-tert-butyl peroxide affords better results for the 2,2'-bicarbazoles. In our study, we have achieved the first syntheses of the biscarbalexines A-C, bisglybomine B, 2,2'-dihydroxy-7,7'-dimethoxy-3,3'-dimethyl-1,1'-bicarbazole, bispyrayafoline C, and bisisomahanine. The iron-catalyzed coupling of koenigine led to an improved synthesis of 8,8''-biskoenigine and afforded an unprecedented decacylic product. Oxidative coupling of 1-hydroxycarbazoles led to bisclausenol, and to the first total syntheses of bismurrayafoline B and D.

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We describe the total synthesis of methylene-bridged biscarbazole alkaloids by using a late-stage Ullmann-type coupling of fully functionalised carbazole subunits. The carbazole derivatives were synthesised via a sequence of palladium(0)- and palladium(II)-catalysed coupling reactions. Our approach has provided bismurrayafoline-A, bismurrayafolinol, chrestifolines B-D, and the first total synthesis of murrastifoline-C and murrafoline-E.

We describe the total synthesis of murrayafoline-B and seven carbazole-1,4-quinone alkaloids. A palladium(II)-catalyzed oxidative cyclization is used to construct the carbazole skeleton. Pyran annulation and oxidation provide pyrayaquinone-A, -B, and -C. DIBAL-H-promoted reductive ring opening of pyrano[3,2-a]carbazole precursors leads to the prenylated and geranylated carbazole-1,4-quinone alkaloids murrayaquinone-B, -C, -D, and -E and to murrayafoline-B.