To a round bottom flask add 2-benzyloxy-8-fluoro-6-methyl-5-[4-(2-piperidin-1-yl-ethoxy)-phenyl]-5,6-dihydro-benzo[i]phenanthridine (0.030 g, 0.052 mmol), ammonium formate (0.026 g, 0.42 mmol), methanol (5 mL) and a slurry of 10% Pd/C (0.005 g, ˜15% by weight) and ethanol (2 mL). Heat the mixture, with stirring, at reflux for 30 minutes. Cool the reaction to ambient temperature and filter it through a pad of Celite, then rinse the Celite with hot methanol. Evaporate the filtrate in vacuo and purify the resulting residue by radial chromatography over silica (5-10% MeOH gradient in CH2Cl2) to provide the product 20 mg (80%); mass spectrum (ion spray) m/z=483 (M+H).
