Abstract
Photochemical reactions of N-methylpyridylphthalimides (VII-IX) were investigated. Although irradiation of VII in an acetone solution gave only the dihydro product, 3-hydroxy-2-(3-methyl-2-pyridyl) phthalimidine (X), VIII afforded the expected cyclized product, 10b, 11-dihydro-10b-hydroxy-6H-pyrido [4', 3' : 4, 5] pyrrolo [2, 1-a] isoindol-6-one (XII) and dihydro product, 3-hydroxy-2-(4-methyl-3-pyridyl) phthalimidine (XI). Under similar conditions, the cyclized product, 10b, 11-dihydro-10b-hydroxy-6H-pyrido [3', 4' : 4, 5]-pyrrolo [2, 1-a] isoindol-6-one (XIII) was obtained from the photolysis of IX and none of the reduced product was isolated.
