A synthetic approach to carbazoles using electrochemically generated hypervalent iodine oxidant

Carbazoles were successfully synthesized by oxidative cyclization of the corresponding diaryl derivatives using electrochemically generated hypervalent iodine oxidant. Electron-withdrawing nitro and donating methoxy groups at the para position of the acetamide group interfered with cyclization. Glycozoline (8) was successfully synthesized in five steps with 50% overall yield.