A mixture of 125 (148 mg, 0.34 mmol), KCN (120 mg, 1.9 mmol), Pd(PPh3)4 (10 mg, 0.01 mmol), and CuI (50 mg, 0.26 mmol) in dry THF (30 mL) was heated to reflux under N2 with vigorous stirring for 30 min. The mixture was cooled to room temperature, diluted with EtOAc (50 mL), and then filtered through Celite. The filtrate was washed with water and brine, dried and concentrated under reduced pressure. Chromatography of the residue on silica gel eluting with EtOAc/petroleum ether (from 1:5 to 1:2) gave 1-(chloromethyl)-3-(trifluoroacetyl)-1,2-dihydro-3H-benzo[e]indole-6-carbonitrile (126) (97 mg, 85%): mp (EtOAc/petroleum ether) 158-160° C.; 1H NMR (CDCl3) δ 8.63 (d, J=9.1 Hz, 1H), 8.26 (d, J=9.2 Hz, 1H), 8.05 (d, J=8.5 Hz, 1H), 7.90 (dd, J=7.2, 1.0 Hz, 1H), 7.64 (dd, J=8.2, 7.2 Hz, 1H), 4.70-4.63 (m, 1H), 4.51-4.43 (m, 1H), 4.28-4.20 (m, 1H), 3.95-3.89 (m, 1H), 3.64-3.55 (m, 1H); 13C NMR S 154.7 (q, JC-F 38.3 Hz), 141.5, 132.0, 130.7, 129.0, 127.7, 127.5, 126.7, 119.7, 117.2, 115.9 (q, JC-F 288 Hz), 111.7, 52.7, 45.4, 42.6. Anal. (C16H10ClF3N2O.⅓H2O) C, H, N.
