Derivatives of benzo‐ and indolo‐quinolizines: I Synthesis of 2‐substituted hexahydro‐2H‐benzo[a]quinolizines and octahydroindolo[2,3‐a]quinolizines from substituted glutaric acids

The preparation is described of a number of 2‐substituted 1,3,4,6,7,11b‐hexahydro‐9,10‐dimethoxy‐2H‐benzo[a]quinolizines and 1,2,3,4,6,7,12,12b‐octahydroindolo[2,3‐a]quinolizines, starting from 3‐substituted glutaric acids. The preparation requires seven stages (see Reaction Scheme); the majority of the intermediate products has been isolated and described. The end‐products and some of the intermediate products occur in two diastereoisomeric forms, which were separated by crystallisation.