Reaction SMILES: C1(C2C(C3C4C(=CC=CC=4)NC=3)C(=O)NC2=O)C2=C3C(=CC=C2)CCCN3C=1.[CH3:29][O:30][C:31](=[O:43])[C:32]([C:34]1[C:42]2[C:37](=[CH:38][CH:39]=[CH:40][CH:41]=2)[NH:36][CH:35]=1)=O.[CH3:44][O:45][C:46](=[O:60])[CH2:47][C:48]1[C:58]2=[C:59]3[C:54](=[CH:55][CH:56]=[CH:57]2)[CH2:53][CH2:52][CH2:51][N:50]3[CH:49]=1.C([N-]C(C)C)(C)C.[Li+]>C1COCC1>[CH3:44][O:45][C:46](=[O:60])[C:47]([C:48]1[C:58]2=[C:59]3[C:54](=[CH:55][CH:56]=[CH:57]2)[CH2:53][CH2:52][CH2:51][N:50]3[CH:49]=1)=[C:32]([C:34]1[C:42]2[C:37](=[CH:38][CH:39]=[CH:40][CH:41]=2)[NH:36][CH:35]=1)[C:31]([O:30][CH3:29])=[O:43]
Reactant: COC(=O)Cc1cn2c3c(cccc13)CCC2
Reactant: COC(=O)C(=O)c1c[nH]c2ccccc12
Agent: CC(C)[N-]C(C)C
Agent: O=C1NC(=O)C(c2cn3c4c(cccc24)CCC3)C1c1c[nH]c2ccccc12
Agent: [Li+]
Solvent: C1CCOC1
Product: COC(=O)C(=C(C(=O)OC)c1cn2c3c(cccc13)CCC2)c1c[nH]c2ccccc12

Procedure:
The cis and trans isomers of 3-(5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-1-yl)-4(1H-indol-3-yl)pyrrolidine-2,5-dione may be prepared beginning with the reaction of (1H-indol-3-yl)-oxo-acetic acid methyl ester and (5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-1-yl)-acetic acid methyl ester in the presence of a base such as LDA (lithium diisopropylamide) in a polar aprotic solvent such as THF to yield 2-(5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-1-yl)-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)-but-2-enedioic acid dimethyl ester. Alternatively, 2-(5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-1-yl)-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)-but-2-enedioic acid dimethyl ester may be prepared by reaction of (1H-indol-3-yl)-acetic acid methyl ester and (5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-1-yl)-oxo-acetic acid methyl ester in the presence of a base (e.g., LDA) in THF. The 2-(5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-1-yl)-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)-but-2-enedioic acid dimethyl ester is reduced by catalytic hydrogenation over a noble metal catalyst (e.g., Pd on charcoal) to give 2-(5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-1-yl)-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)-succinic acid dimethyl ester, which is reacted with benzylamine (PhCH2NH2) to yield a mixture of cis and trans 3-(5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-1-yl)-4-(1H-indol-3-yl)-1-phenyl-pyrrolidine-2,5-dione. The mixture of cis and trans isomers may be deprotected by catalytic hydrogenation over Pd on charcoal (Pd—C) to give rise to a mixture of cis and trans 3-(5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-1-yl)-4-(1H-indol-3-yl)-pyrrolidine-2,5-dione. The cis and trans isomers may be separated to give all four cis and trans isomers (e.g., by chromatography as in Examples 4 and 5). The deprotected mixture of cis and trans isomers may be treated with potassium tert-butoxide in tert-butanol (as in Example 3) or a mixture of THF and tert-butanol at 50° C. to yield a mixture with a predominance of the trans isomers. Alternatively, the 2-(5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-1-yl)-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)-succinic acid dimethyl ester can be reacted with ammonia in methanol at elevated temperatures to yield predominantly the cis isomers of 3-(5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-1-yl)-4-(1H-indol-3-yl)-pyrrolidine-2,5-dione, which may be isomerized to yield predominately the trans isomers of 3-(5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-1-yl)-4-(1H-indol-3-yl)-pyrrolidine-2,5-dione with potassium tert-butoxide in tert-butanol (as in Example 3) or a mixture of THF and tert-butanol at 50° C.