Synthesis of ellipticine: a radical cascade protocol to aryl- and heteroaryl-annulated[b]carbazoles

[reaction: see text] Imidoyl selanides, synthesized from amides, have been used as radical precursors of imidoyl radicals in cascade reactions. The novel radical cascade has been developed for the simple synthesis of the medicinally important aryl-annulated[b]carbazoles. The protocol has been exemplified with the high-yielding total synthesis of the anticancer alkaloid ellipticine.