Silver-Catalyzed Stereoselective Cyclization to Polysubstituted ( Z)-1,2-Dihydrobenzo[ cd]indoles.

Silver-catalyzed stereoselective synthesis of polysubstituted ( Z)-1,2-dihydrobenzo[ cd]indoles from 8-ethynylnaphthalen-1-amines is reported. In this protocol, a series of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds were synthesized by silver-catalyzed α-addition of an alkyne bond with high selectivity and high yields. The synthesized polysubstituted 1,2-dihydrobenzo[ cd]indoles could be easily converted to benzo[ cd]indol-2(1 H)-ones, and both 1,2-dihydrobenzo[ cd]indoles and benzo[ cd]indol- 2(1 H)-ones are biological and pharmaceutical cores.