The cycloaddition of 4-methoxycarbonyl-2(1H)-pyridones to silyloxydienes gave isoquinolone derivatives in reasonable yields. Furthermore, the cycloaddition of 6-methoxycarbonyl-2(1H)-pyridones to 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene produced cycloadducts (isoquinolone and quinolone derivatives) and double cycloadducts (phenanthridone derivatives). The activation energies using Gaussian 98 with RHF/3-21G level
Diels-Alder (DA) reactions of 2(1H)-pyridones having an electron-withdrawinggroup at the 4-position with 2,3-dimethoxy- and 2-methoxy-1,3-butadienes gave isoquinoline derivatives. Furthermore, an isoquinoline alkaloid (6,7-dimethoxy-2-methyl-1(2H)-isoquinolone) was synthesized by elimination of hydrogen cyanide and dehydrogenation of the DA-adduct having a cyano group at the 4a-position.