Reduction of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-γ-carbolines with alkali metal borohydrides in trifluoroacetic acid

A preparative method for the synthesis of 9- (2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)-1,2,3,4,4a, 9a-hexahydro--carbolines by the action of alkali metal borohydrides in trifluoroacetic acid on 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro--carbolines was developed. The indicated trifluoroethyl derivatives can also be obtained by reaction of the same reagents with 1,2,3,4,4a,9a-hexahydro--carbolines, which are intermediates in the overall reduction-trifluoroethylation process.See 1] for a preliminary communication.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 10, pp. 1383–1386, October, 1980.