Poly-substituted indoles are readily accessible from substituted 2-(benzotriazol-1-ylmethyl) pyrrobles by lithiation, reaction with α, β-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones, and subsequent facile dehydrobenzotriazolylation-cyclodehydration. The substituted 2- (benzotriazol-1-ylmethyl)-pyrrole precursors are obtained by reacting α-bromoketones with terminally lithiated propargylbenzotriazole, and treating the resulting epoxide with a ...