Synthesis of 2,3,8,9-tetramethoxy-11-phenyl-5,6-dihydrodibenz[2,3;7,8]indolizine

2,3,8,9-Tetramethoxy-11-phenyldibenz2,3;7,8]indolizine was obtainedinhighyieldfrom (6,7-dimethoxyisoquinolin-1-yl)-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)phenylcarbinol by cyclization in the presence of formic acid. The behavior of (6,7-dimethoxyisoquinolin-1-yl)-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)methylcarbinol and (6,7-dimethoxyisoquinolin-1-yl-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)carbinol was studied under these same conditions. 2,3,7,8-Tetramethoxy-11-phenyl-5,6-dihydrodibenz2,3;7,8]indolizine was obtained by hydrogenation on rhenium heptasulfide.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 9, pp. 1233–1238, September, 1993.