The synthesis of some novel stilbene dimers incorporating diamide tethers: studies in single electron transfer oxidation (FeCl 3 ).

The FeCl 3 oxidative cascade reaction of the acetamido stilbene 1 which we reported some years ago produced the first atropodiastereomeric indolostilbene hybrid 3. By contrast, recent investigation of the oxidation of the stilbene succinamide dimer 72 (FeCl 3 /CH 2 Cl 2 ) appears, on the basis of spectroscopic evidence, to have produced the bridged macrocyclic indoline 73.