Abstract
Nitrogen-tethered 2-methoxyphenols are conveniently dearomatized into synthetically useful orthoquinol acetates by treatment with phenyliodine(III) diacetate in methylene chloride at low temperature. Subsequent fluoride- or base-induce intramolecular nucleophilic addition reactions furnish indole and quinoline derivatives. The potential of this methodology for the synthesis or a functionalized lycorine-type alkaloid skeleton is introduced here. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.