Studies on the syntheses of heterocyclic compounds. Part DCXXXII. The formation of the benzimidazo[2,1-a]isoquinoline by reaction of the 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-(2-nitrophenethyl)isoquinoline with triethyl phosphite

Reductive cyclization of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethoxy-1-(4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrophen-ethyl)isoquinoline (V) with triethyl phosphite gave 5,6-dihydro-2,3,9,10-tetramethoxybenzimidazo2,1-a]isoquinoline (IX), whose structure was identified by the spectroscopic analyses by an alternative synthesis.