Gold-catalyzed one-pot cascade construction of highly functionalized pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinolin-1(2H)-ones.

An efficient protocol was developed for the synthesis of fused heterocyclic multiring compounds pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinolin-1(2H)-ones via a AuBr(3)/AgSbF(6)-catalyzed cascade transformation. Significantly, the strategy affords a straightforward and efficient approach to construction of tricyclic lactam molecular architectures in which two new C-C bonds and one new C-N bond are formed in a one-pot synthetic operation from simple starting materials. Moreover, a broad spectrum of substrates can participate in the process effectively to produce the desired products in good yields and with excellent regio- and chemoselectivities.