N-Oxides and S-oxides of ellipticine analogs

Oxidation with perbenzoic acid derivatives in neutral organic solvents of 11-desmethylellipticine (at the pyrido-N) and oxa-ellipticine afforded the corresponding N-Oxides. Thia-ellipticine afforded the sulfone N-oxide, which underwent N-deoxygenation with triphenylphosphine to yield thia-ellipticine sulfone.