The bisindolesuccinic acid methyl ester 10 was obtained by an iodine-promoted coupling of the dianion 9. The diester was converted to the N-benzylimide 12, which was oxidatively cyclized to the indolo [2, 3-a] pyrrolo [3, 4-c] carbazole 15. The diester 10 could be directly transformed to the known indolocarbazole diester 27 via acid-induced intramolecular cyclization in TFA. The same methodology gave arcyriaflavin A 4 from the succinimide 18b.
