The acylation of 9-ethylamino-8-bromo-3,4-dimethoxyphenanthrene (I) with butyryl chloride (II) in CH2Cl2 gives 9-(N-ethyl-N-butyrylamino)-8-bromo-3,4-dimethoxyphenanthrene (III), which is cyclized by means of butyllithium in THF yielding 5-ethyl-4,5-dihydro-9,10-dimethoxy-4-n-propyldibenz[cd,f]indole-4-ol (IV). The reduction of (IV) with Zn-HgCl2 in refluxing ethanol water affords 5-ethyl-4,5,5a,6-tetrahydro-9,10-diethoxy-4-n-propyldibenz[cd,f]indole (V), which is finally demethylated by means of refluxing aqueous 47% HBr.
The reaction of 3,4-dimethoxyphenanthrene-9-carboxylic acid (VI) first with trifluoroacetic anhydride and then with sodium azide gives 9-amino-3,4-dimethoxyphenanthrene (VII), which is acetylated with acetyl chloride in CH2Cl2 yielding 9-acetylamino-3,4-dimethoxyphenanthrene (VIII). The reduction of (VIII) with diborane in THF affords 9-ethylamino-3,4-dimethoxyphenanthrene (IX), which is cyclized with CO2 by means of n-butyllithium in THF affording 5-ethyl-4,5-dihydro-9,10-dimethoxy-4-oxodibenz[cd,f]indole (X). Finally, this compound is submitted to a Grignard synthesis with propylmagnesium bromide (A) in THF to give (IV), already obtained.