1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of polycyclic azomethine ylide to norcorroles: towards dibenzoullazine-fused derivatives.

A 1,3-cycloaddition reaction of 2-( tert -butyl)-8 H -isoquinolino[4,3,2- de ]phenanthridin-9-ium chloride to Ni II norcorrole in the presence of base is shown to produce a family of chiral derivatives of polycyclic system(s) fused with pyrrole subunit(s) of the macrocycle. Dehydrogenation of the cycloaddition products gave rise to dibenzoullazine ortho -fused antiaromatic porphyrinoids.