Flash vacuum pyrolysis of 2-phenylquinoline-3,4-dicarboxylic anhydride at 800°C/0.06 Torr. gave indeno[1,2- ]indole. This was reduced to form 5,10-dihydroindeno[1,2-b]indole and it added nucleophiles to give dihydroindenoindoles with the 10-substituents Ph, NEt 2 , OMe, Me, CH(COOMe) 2 , and CMe 2 NO 2 . ... Molecular ion, m/z 203.073 ± 0.002: C 15 H 9 N requires 203.073. ν max . (Nujol) 1626 w, 1605 w cm −1 . 1 H nmr spectrum, δ (CDCl 3 , 200MHz) ...