Alkylation of 1,2,3,4,10,10a-hexahydropyrimido[1,2-a]indol-2-one

A mixture of N- and O-alkylation products is formed in the reaction of 1,2,3,4,10,-10a-hexahydropyrimido1,2-a]indol-2-ones with ethyl iodide, allyl bromide, or benzyl chloride in DMFA (dimethylformamide) in the presence of potassium hydroxide. In the presence of aqueous solutions of acids with subsequent treatment with bases, the alkylation products are converted to 1-2-(alkoxycarbonyl)-ethyl]-2-methylene-2,3-dehydro-1H-indoles. The reaction of 1,2,3,4,10,10a-hexahydropyrimido1,2-a]indol-2-one with triethyloxonium fluoroborate gives 1-2-(ethoxycarbonyl)ethyl]-2-methylene-2,3-dihydro-1H-indole.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 9, pp. 1224–1227, September, 1989.