Exocyclic regioselective synthesis

The radical cation Diels-Alder reaction has been the subject of many mechanistic and theoretical investigations and has been shown to have much synthetic potential. With regard to heteroaromatics, the reaction has been exploited by Steckhan in the cycloaddition of indoles and 1,3-dienes. This reaction occurs smoothly upon photosensitization by triarylpyrrilium tetrafluoroborates. The reaction is satisfactory rationalized as involving addition of the indole radical cation to electron-rich dienes (Scheme 35), and the regioselectivity is in accord with theoretical predictions [104]. The reaction with exocyclic dienes has been developed for the synthesis of carbazole derivatives such as 52 and 53 [105]. 

---