Skeletally Tunable Seven-Membered-Ring Fused Pyrroles

We describe a copper-mediated method that enables the synthesis of seven-membered-ring fused pyrroles (7-mrFPs). The protocol proceeds via an in situ spiro-intermediate ring expansion and tolerates a library of 7-mrFP derivatives with a broad range of functional groups in a simple step with tangible parameters and substrate adaptations. These rare 7-mrFPs are now accessible on a millimolar scale, and selected examples exhibit high antioxidant activity.