Indolopyridines with a hetero atom at a position of fusion 8. Reductive C-alkylation of indolo[2,1-a]isoquinolone

Indolo(2,1-a]isoquinoline was alkylated at C(11) under catalytic hydrogenation conditions over rhenium heptasulfide in a medium of various alcohols. It was shown that the alkylation occurs by an electrophilic substitution mechanism and the yield of the products increases with decreasing acidity of the alcohols. © 1994 Plenum Publishing Corporation.