Potential antitumoral scaffold indolo[3,2-c]quinoline 5a was obtained by an
intramolecular Heck cyclisation from the corresponding 2-iodophenyl-3-indo
lecarboxamide 4a. The 7-azaindole analogue 5b was prepared by the same appr
oach. Triflate displacement of compounds 6 according to Suzuki and Stille r
eactions gave the 6-substituted derivatives 7-10.