Carbenium catalysis toward β-carbolines

This preview highlights the findings of Liu, Jia, Loh, and co-workers, reported recently in Cell Reports Physical Science on the synthesis of β-carbolines in good to excellent yields, catalyzed by the [Ph3C]+[B(C6F5)4]− ion pair. The aerobic dehydroaromatization mechanism is proposed to proceed via a possible radical mechanism.