Synthesis and X-ray structural studies of a substituted 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazonine and a 1,2,3,5-tetrahydro-4,3-benzoxazonine.

Using a common 1-(1-phenylethenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline precursor to the required ylide or N-oxide intermediate, the Stevens [2,3] and analogous Meisenheimer [2,3] sigmatropic rearrangements have been applied to afford concise syntheses of phenyl -substituted representatives of each of the reduced 1H-3-benzazonine and 4,3-benzoxazonine systems, respectively. Single crystal X-ray structure determinations were employed to define the conformational characteristics for each ring type.