Abstract Treatment of N-(2-bromoaryl) enaminones 4, prepared by several different methods, with palladium (II) acetate, triarylphosphine and triethylamine in boiling acetonitrile gave pyrrolo [1, 2-a] indoles 8 yields of 50%–100%. The hydroxy-substituted products 8k could be oxidised to the mitosene-like quinone 9 with Fremy's salt.