Recent trends in the synthesis of carbazoles: an update

The carbazole nucleus is a predominant feature of a vast array of heterocyclic compounds. It occurs in naturally occurring alkaloids, optoelectronic materials, and anion-binding ligands. Due to their various applications, there have appeared a plethora of synthetic methods for the construction of carbazoles. In this update, we focus on the recent developments and studies related to the synthesis of carbazoles spanning the period 2008–2011. Particular emphasis is placed on the methods involving cycloadditions and transition metal-assisted intramolecular aminations.