ON THE REDUCTION OF VIC-DIOXOPYRROLO[2,3-B]INDOLES WITH LITHIUM ALUMINUM-HYDRIDE

Dioxopyrrol[2,3-b]indoles and their structural analogues, diaza[n,3,3] propellanediones were reduced by lithium aluminum hydride affording th eir hydrogenated derivatives (1) and (2), each of them representing a mixture of diastereomers. Under equal reaction conditions an open-chai n compound (3) was obtained by reduction of -diphenyl-1,2,8,8a-tetrahy dropyrrolo[2,3-b]indole, 3 cyclizes with oxalyl chloride affording 4. Under acidic conditions 1 and 2 could be decomposed to the indole deri vatives (5) and (6), respectively.