The Friedel Crafts condensation of 6-methoxyindolin-2-one (I) with acetyl chloride and AlCl3 gives the 5-acetyl-6-methoxyindolin-2-one (II), which is treated with hydroxylamine and acetic anhydride to yield the O-acetyloxime (III). The cyclization of (III) affords the 3-methyl-6,7-dihydro-5H-isoxazolo[4,5-f]indol-6-one (IV), which is condensed with 4-(iodomethyl)piperidine-1-carboxylic acid tert-butyl ester (V) to provide the adduct (VI). Finally this compound is deprotected with TFA and benzylated with benzyl bromide (VII) to furnish the target compound.
Hydrolysis of physostigmine (I) with either NaOMe in ethanol or NaOBu in refluxing butanol (better yield) gives eseroline (II), which is condensed with phenyl isocyanate (III) by means of NaOMe in benzene, Na in benzene or Na in ether/benzene.