Synthesis of 6H-Isoindolo[2,1-a]indol-6-ones
130.93 (CH), 137.71 (Cq), 139.46 (Cq), 146.72 (Cq), 151.40 (Cq), 145.11 (Cq), 147.42 (Cq), 162.66 (Cq) ppm. HRMS: m/z calcd. for
166.08 (Cq) ppm. HRMS: m/z calcd. for C19H19NO6Na [M +
C16H9NO3Na [M + Na]+ 286.0480; found 286.0480.
Na]+ 380.1110; found 380.1111.
2,3-Dimethoxy-6H-isoindolo[2,1-a]indol-6-one (1e): Light-brown so-
Ethyl 2-(4,5,6-Trimethoxy-2-nitrostyryl)benzoate (4f): Yellow solid;
lid; m.p. 168–169 °C (ref.[9] 160–161 °C). IR (KBr): ν = 1445, 1724,
˜
m.p. 45–46 °C. IR (KBr): ν = 1344, 1527, 1710, 2950, 3060 cm–1. 3055 cm–1. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 3.83 (s, 3 H), 3.89 (s,
˜
1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 1.31 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3 H), 3.82 3 H), 6.39 (s, 1 H), 6.82 (s, 1 H), 7.19–7.20 (m, 1 H), 7.32–7.38 (m,
(s, 3 H), 3.86 (s, 3 H), 3.90 (s, 3 H), 4.30 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2 H), 6.93
3 H), 7.61 (d, J = 7.2 Hz, 1 H) ppm. 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3):
(d, J = 16.0 Hz, 1 H), 7.20 (s, 1 H), 7.28 (t, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H), 7.45 δ = 55.23 (CH3), 55.33 (CH3), 96.01 (CH), 102.71 (CH), 103.29
(t, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H), 7.66 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H), 7.84 (s, 1 H), 7.86 (CH), 119.49 (CH), 124.19 (CH), 125.75 (Cq), 127.02 (CH), 127.20
(d, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H) ppm. 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 14.31 (Cq), 132.47 (Cq), 132.66 (CH), 134.10 (Cq), 136.56 (Cq), 145.83
(CH3), 56.36 (CH3), 61.05 (CH2), 61.16 (CH3), 61.22 (CH3), 104.08 (Cq), 148.36 (Cq), 161.73 (Cq) ppm. HRMS: m/z calcd. for
(CH), 121.21 (Cq), 121.50 (CH), 127.38 (CH), 127.60 (CH), 129.24 C17H13NO3Na [M + Na]+ 302.0793; found 302.0792.
(Cq), 130.43 (CH), 132.15 (CH), 133.81 (CH), 139.11 (Cq), 144.51
(Cq), 146.85 (Cq), 151.99 (Cq), 152.46 (Cq), 167.23 (Cq) ppm.
1,2,3-Trimethoxy-6H-isoindolo[2,1-a]indol-6-one (1f): Brown solid;
1
m.p. 156–158 °C. IR (KBr): ν = 1437, 1724, 3061 cm–1. H NMR
˜
HRMS: m/z calcd. for C20H21NO7Na [M + Na]+ 410.1216; found
(400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 3.78 (s, 3 H), 3.85 (s, 3 H), 3.98 (s, 3 H),
410.1215.
6.55 (s, 1 H), 7.09 (s, 1 H), 7.17–7.19 (m, 1 H), 7.33–7.37 (m, 2 H),
7.61 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H) ppm. 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ =
56.48 (CH3), 61.13 (CH3), 61.34 (CH3), 92.76 (CH), 101.45 (CH),
120.53 (Cq), 120.60 (CH), 125.25 (CH), 128.10 (CH), 130.46 (Cq),
133.40 (Cq), 133.71 (CH), 134.83 (Cq), 136.58 (Cq), 138.26 (Cq),
147.20 (Cq), 154.09 (Cq), 162.75 (Cq) ppm. HRMS: m/z calcd. for
C18H15NO4Na [M + Na]+ 332.0899; found 332.0895.
General Procedure for the Synthesis of 6H-Isoindolo[2,1-a]indol-6-
ones 1a–f: A mixture of ethyl 2-(2-nitrostyryl)benzoate 4a–f
(1 mmol) and triphenylphosphane (576 mg, 2.2 mmol) was heated
to reflux in diphenyl ether (10 mL) for 4 h. After cooling, the mix-
ture was purified by chromatography (silica gel; hexanes then
EtOAc/hexanes 10%) to afford the isoindolo-indolones 1a–f.
6H-Isoindolo[2,1-a]indol-6-one (1a): Yellow solid; m.p. 153–154 °C
Supporting Information (see footnote on the first page of this arti-
cle): Spectral data of all the products are given.
(ref.[7] 153–154 °C). IR (KBr): ν = 1444, 1725, 3057 cm–1. 1H NMR
˜
(400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 6.54 (s, 1 H), 7.08 (t, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H),
7.21 (t, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H), 7.27 (m, 1 H), 7.36 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H),
7.44 (m, 2 H), 7.67 (d, J = 7.6 Hz, 1 H), 7.80 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 1
H) ppm. 13C NMR (CDCl3): δ = 103.54 (CH), 113.34 (CH), 121.26
(CH), 122.30 (CH), 123.90 (CH), 125.29 (CH), 126.33 (CH), 128.81
(CH), 133.59 (Cq), 133.72 (CH), 133.86 (Cq), 134.52 (Cq), 134.66
(Cq), 138.83 (Cq), 162.67 (Cq) ppm. C15H9NO (219.24): calcd. C
82.18, H 4.14, N 6.39; found C 82.39, H 4.34, N 6.73.
Acknowledgments
The authors are thankful to the Department of Science and Tech-
nology (DST), New Delhi and the Council for Scientific and Indus-
trial Research (CSIR), New Delhi for financial support, and IISc
(Bangalore) for use of the HRMS facility. H. K. K. acknowledges
CSIR (New Delhi) for the award of a NET Senior Research Fellow-
ship.
2-Chloro-6H-isoindolo[2,1-a]indol-6-one (1b): Yellow solid; m.p.
160–162 °C. IR (KBr): ν = 1440, 1728, 3059 cm–1. 1H NMR
˜
(400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 6.48 (s, 1 H), 7.15 (d, J = 7.6 Hz, 1 H),
7.28–7.31 (m, 1 H), 7.34 (s, 1 H), 7.45–7.46 (m, 2 H), 7.68–7.73 (m,
2 H) ppm. 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 102.56 (CH), 114.05
(CH), 121.50 (CH), 121.96 (CH), 125.47 (CH), 126.31 (CH), 129.24
(CH), 129.36 (Cq), 131.87 (Cq), 133.64 (Cq), 133.96 (CH), 134.36
(Cq), 135.70 (Cq), 140.08 (Cq), 162.44 (Cq) ppm. HRMS: m/z
calcd. for C15H8ClNOH [M + H]+ 254.0373; found 254.0370.
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2-Methoxy-6H-isoindolo[2,1-a]indol-6-one (1c): Yellow solid; m.p.
160–161 °C (ref.[5] 165–166 °C). IR (KBr):
ν = 1440, 1724,
˜
3057 cm–1. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 3.72 (s, 3 H), 6.37 (s,
1 H), 6.75 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H), 6.79 (s, 1 H), 7.20 (d, J = 8.0 Hz,
1 H), 7.32–7.37 (m, 2 H), 7.58–7.63 (m, 2 H) ppm. 13C NMR
(100 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 55.69 (CH3), 103.40 (CH), 105.86 (CH),
113.77 (CH), 113.94 (CH), 121.07 (CH), 125.09 (CH), 128.21 (Cq),
128.71 (CH), 133.50 (CH), 133.9 (Cq), 134.59 (Cq), 135.49 (Cq),
139.66 (Cq), 156.69 (Cq), 162.30 (Cq) ppm. HRMS: m/z calcd. for
C16H11NO2Na [M + Na]+ 272.0687; found 272.0687. C16H11NO2
(249.27): calcd. C 77.10, H 4.45, N 5.62; found C 77.40, H 4.40, N
5.99.
6H-(1,3)Dioxo(4,5-f)isoindolo[2,1-a]indol-6-one (1d): Orange solid;
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1
m.p. 201–202 °C. IR (KBr): ν = 1468, 1724, 3057 cm–1. H NMR
˜
(400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 5.91 (s, 2 H), 6.38 (s, 1 H), 6.75 (s, 1 H),
7.20 (t, J = 7.4 Hz, 1 H), 7.31 (s, 1 H), 7.34 (d, J = 7.6 Hz, 1 H),
7.38 (t, J = 7.6 Hz, 1 H), 7.63 (d, J = 7.6 Hz, 1 H) ppm. 13C NMR
(100 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 95.36 (CH), 101.36 (CH2), 101.54 (CH),
103.88 (CH), 120.51 (CH), 125.28 (CH), 128.10 (CH), 128.23 (Cq),
128.80 (Cq), 133.35 (Cq), 133.77 (CH), 135.14 (Cq), 137.79 (Cq),
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