Reaction SMILES: [CH3:1][O:2][C:3](=[O:31])[C:4]([C:19]1[C:29]2=[C:30]3[C:25](=[CH:26][CH:27]=[CH:28]2)[CH2:24][CH2:23][CH2:22][N:21]3[CH:20]=1)=[C:5]([C:10]1[C:18]2[C:13](=[CH:14][CH:15]=[CH:16][CH:17]=2)[NH:12][CH:11]=1)[C:6]([O:8][CH3:9])=[O:7].COC(=O)CC1C2C(=CC=CC=2)NC=1.COC(=O)C(C1C2=C3C(=CC=C2)CCCN3C=1)=O.C([N-]C(C)C)(C)C.[Li+]>C1COCC1.[Pd]>[CH3:1][O:2][C:3](=[O:31])[CH:4]([C:19]1[C:29]2=[C:30]3[C:25](=[CH:26][CH:27]=[CH:28]2)[CH2:24][CH2:23][CH2:22][N:21]3[CH:20]=1)[CH:5]([C:10]1[C:18]2[C:13](=[CH:14][CH:15]=[CH:16][CH:17]=2)[NH:12][CH:11]=1)[C:6]([O:8][CH3:9])=[O:7]
Reactant: COC(=O)C(=C(C(=O)OC)c1cn2c3c(cccc13)CCC2)c1c[nH]c2ccccc12
Agent: [Pd]
Agent: CC(C)[N-]C(C)C
Agent: COC(=O)C(=O)c1cn2c3c(cccc13)CCC2
Solvent: C1CCOC1
Product: COC(=O)C(c1c[nH]c2ccccc12)C(C(=O)OC)c1cn2c3c(cccc13)CCC2

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.