Abstract
Upon irradiation in acetone, N-(ω-indol-3-ylalkyl)phthalimides (1, n=2-5) underwent intramolecular Paterno-Buchi reaction to give oxeto[2, 3-b]indoles or their ring-opening products. However, N-(ω-indol-2-ylalkyl)phthalimides (9, n=2, 3) yielded not the oxetane, but the N-deacetylated compounds.