Patent ID: 7227019

Claim:
A method for making an indolopyrrolocarbazole compound according to general formula [I]: wherein: independently selected X′ 1 and X″ 1 are at each of the 1-4 and 8-11 positions, respectively, and are selected from H, halogen, OH, —CN, CF 3 , —COR′ a , NO 2 , OR″, O(CH 2 ) n NR′ 9 R″ 10 , O(CH 2 ) n OR″ 9 and O(CH 2 ) n COOR″ 9 ; n is an integer of from 0 to 4; R″ a is H, OH, C 1-7 alkoxy or NR″ 9 R″ 10 ; R″ 9 and R″ 10 are independently H, C 1-7 alkyl, C 1-7 cycloalkyl, phenyl, benzyl, aryl, heteroaryl, any of which groups except hydrogen can be substituted with one to six of the same or different halogen, OH, NH 2 , CN, NO 2 , —C(═NH)NH 2 , —CH(═NH), CH(R′ b ) (CH 2 ) n COOH, CH(R′ b )(CH 2 ) n NH 2 , COOR″ 12 , or R″ 9 and R″ 10 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a cyclic 5-8 membered non-aromatic ring containing either one or two heteroatoms selected from O, N, or S or R″ 9 and R″ 10 together form ═CHR″ 11 R″ 12 ; R″ b is H or COOH; R″ 11 and R″ 12 are each independently hydrogen, C 1-7 alkyl, C 1-7 cycloalkyl, heteroaryl, non-aromatic cyclic 5-8 membered ring containing either one or two heteroatoms selected from O, or N, (CH 2 ) n NR″ 9 R″ 10 , (CH 2 ) n OR″ 9 or (CH 2 ) n COOR″ 9 , said C 1-7 alkyl being optionally substituted with one to six of the same or different halogen, OH, CN, NO 2 , aryl or heteroaryl, said aryl or heteroaryl substituted with one or two groups independently selected from NR″ 9 R″ 10 , OH, COOR″ 9 , SO 3 R″ 9 or OCOR″ 9 ; R″ 6 is H, C 1-7 alkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, OR″ 10 , NR″ 9 R″ 10 , or OCO(CH 2 ) n NR″ 9 R″ 10 , said C 1-7 alkyl being optionally substituted with one to six of the same or different halogen, NR″ 9 R″ 10 , CN, NO 2 , aryl, said aryl being substituted with one or two groups independently selected from NR″ 9 R″ 10 , OH, COOR″ 9 , SO 3 R″ 9 or OCOR″ 9 ; and R″ 7 and R″ 8 are each independently H, OH, or taken together is O; the method comprising the step of: reacting a bisindolylmaleimide compound of the general formula [II]: wherein X′ 1 , X″ 1 , R″ 6 , R″ 7 and R″ 8 are as described above in formula [I], with an oxidizing agent while sparging with an oxygen containing gas at a temperature and for a time sufficient to yield the indolopyrrolocarbazole compound of the general formula [I].