Abstract Approaches toward the preparative-scale synthesis of target 3, 4-dihydro-1 (2H)- isoquinolinones 1–3 are presented. Compounds 1 and 2 were prepared via a Schmidt rearrangement on easily obtained indanone precursors, but in low overall yield. A better method to make this class of compounds is exemplified by the large-scale synthesis of 2 via a Curtius rearrangement sequence. Thus, high-temperature thermal cyclization of an in ...
