Pseudoindoxyl is a partial skeleton found in various
natural products.
Its light-absorption properties make it useful for the design of functional
molecules. However, versatile synthesis methods have not yet been
reported. In this report, we present a versatile synthetic method
for pseudoindoxyls using the direct S0 → Tn transition under visible light irradiation. We also discuss the
application of pseudoindoxyls as photocatalysts.