Abstract

Iodobenzene diacetate was employed as a mild and efficient reagent for one-pot oxidative decarboxylation of tetrahydro-beta-carboline acids and dehydrogenation of tetrahydro-beta-carbolines to access the corresponding aromatic beta-carbolines. To the best of our knowledge this is the first synthesis of beta-carbolines via a one-pot oxidative decarboxylation at ambient temperature. The utility of this protocol has been demonstrated in the synthesis of beta-carboline alkaloids norharmane (2o), harmane (2p), eudistomin U (9) and eudistomin I (12).