Skeletal editing provides a simple route to access isoquinolines

Structures

Source: © Bill Morandi/ETH Zürich

Direct nitrogen atom insertion into a broad range of indenes and cyclopentadienes

Researchers in Switzerland have developed a method to synthesise isoquinolines from indenes using skeletal editing. The one-step protocol enables easy access to an important building block in organic chemistry using simple, benign and commercially available reagents.