A Short and Efficient Approach to Pyrrolo[2,1- a ]isoquinoline and Pyrrolo[2,1-a]benzazepine Derivatives

Article abstract of DOI:10.1055/s-0035-1561398

A Br?nsted acid promoted intramolecular Friedel-Crafts cyclization of β-benzoyl- and β-acetylpyrrol-2(5H)-one derivatives tethered via nitrogen to an electron-rich arene nucleus is developed. Using this efficient methodology, various pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline and pyrrolo[2,1-a]benzazepine derivatives are prepared in a two-step sequence starting from readily available ethyl (Z)-3-bromomethyl-4-oxo-4-phenylbut-2-enoate or ethyl (Z)-3-bromomethyl-4-oxopent-2-enoate.