Photochemical or thermal reactions of 3-(2-azidobenzylidene)-lactams afforded fused indoles such as indolo[3,2-c]quinolin-6-ones, pyrido[4,3-b]indol-1-ones and other similar compounds in moderate to high yields via cyclization-ring expansion reactions. The photolytic process was much more facile than the thermal process and could be further improved by addition of CuI.

Highly efficient syntheses of indolo[2,1‐a]isoquinolines, indolo[2,1‐a][2]benzazepines, pyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinolines and pyrrolo[1,2‐a]benzazepines in excellent yields have been achieved by the intramolecular photochemical cross‐coupling reactions of 3‐acyl‐2‐halo‐N‐(ω‐arylalkyl)indoles and 2‐chloro‐N‐(ω‐arylalkyl)pyrrole‐3‐carbaldehydes in acetone. A new heterocyclic ring system – pyrrolo[1,2‐d][1,4]benzoxazepine – has also been constructed for the first time in this work by the photocyclization of 2‐chloro‐N‐(2‐phenoxyethyl)pyrrole‐3‐carbaldehyde.

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1,2-Fused indoles and pyrroles were prepared via an efficient intramolecular photoaddition reaction of 1-(omega-alkenyl)-2-haloindole-3-carbaldehydes and 1-(omega-alkenyl)-2-chloropyrrole-3-carbaldehydes. The presence of an acyl group was necessary for the photocyclization reactions. The halogen-atom-retained exo- and endo-cyclization products were generally produced with results similar to those of an atom-transfer cyclization reaction. In contrast, unsaturated cyclization products were obtained in the photoreaction of substrates having methyl groups on the vinyl group.

A novel and efficient procedure for the synthesis of benzo[c]carbazoles has been achieved in moderate to high yields by the one-pot photochemical annulations of 2-chloroindole-3-carbaldehydes by styrenes via photodechlorination-initiated coupling of 2-chloroindole-3-carbaldehydes with styrenes, electrocyclic reactions and deformylative aromatization in the presence of pyridine.