In the course of our work aimed at developing novel heterocycles of pharmaceutical interest, a
new tricycle, the tetrahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]indole-1,8-dione, has been synthesized by an
intramolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation, as a synthon suitable to be functionalized to give novel
compounds with potential biological properties. Also, an unusual nucleophilic α-addition to
methyl propiolate by 1,5,6,7-tetrahydro-4H-indol-4-one was observed and discussed