The oxidation of 5-methoxy-1-tetralone (I) with SeO2 gives 5-methoxy-1,2-naphthoquinone (II), which is cyclized with 2,3-diaminobenzoic acid (II) by means of HCl in refluxing ethanol to yield 4-methoxybenzo[a]phenazine-11-carboxylic acid (IV). Finally, this acid is converted into the target amide by its condensation with N1,N1,2(R)-trimethylethane-1,2-diamine (V) by means of CDI in DMF.
The intermediate chiral diamine (IV) (see Scheme no. 28794701a, intermediate (V)) is prepared as follows: Reduction of N-Boc-D-alanine methyl ester (I) with DIBAL affords N-Boc-alaninal (II), which is reductively aminated with dimethylamine in the presence of NaBH3CN to afford the Boc-protected diamine (III). The N-Boc group of (III) is finally removed under acidic conditions to provide the target (R)-diamine (IV).