Gold(I)-Catalyzed Rearrangement of <i>N</i>‑Aryl 2‑Alkynylazetidines to Pyrrolo[1,2‑<i>a</i>]indoles

Various <i>N</i>-aryl-2-alkynylazetidines were very efficiently converted to pyrrolo[1,2-<i>a</i>]indoles with gold catalysts, especially the 2-biphenyl-dicyclohexylphosphino-gold(I) hexafluoroantimonate, in dichloromethane at room temperature. Additionally, two formal syntheses of bioactive non-natural compounds, i.e. 7-methoxymitosene and an 5-HT_2C receptor agonist, have been achieved