Abstract
2‐Benzylamino‐1‐phenyl‐ethanones 1 were converted to the corresponding isoquinolinium perchlorates 2 in high yields using 70% HClO4‐FeCl3 mixture as a cyclization and oxidation reagent. A mild and high yielding method for the oxidation of perchlorates 2 to isoquinolin‐1‐ones 3 involving the treatment of 2 with KOH and K3[Fe(CN)6] in THF‐H2O two‐phase system at room temperature was developed. Compounds 2a–g were shown to be disproportionate to 3 and the corresponding 1,2‐dihydroisoquinoline 4 in the presence of base, which in turn is oxidized by K3[Fe(CN)6] to 2.
Acknowledgment
Uludağ University Research Fund is gratefully acknowledged for its financial support (Project No 2001‐2).