The Fischer indole synthesis between p-Tolylhydrazine Hydrochloride [637-60-5] (1) and 1,2-Cyclohexanedione [765-87-7] (2) gives 6-methyl-2,3,4,9-tetrahydrocarbazol-1-one [3449-48-7] (3). Imine formation with ethanolamine [141-43-5] (4) gives CID:2838578 (5). Halogenation with phosphorus oxychloride gives (6).[13] Intramolcular alkylation with the indole nitrogen resulted in Dehydropirlindole [75804-32-9] (7). Reduction of the imine with sodium borohydride completes the synthesis of pirlindole (8).
^Pöldinger W (1985). "Pirlindole: results of an open clinical study in out-patients and of a double-blind study against maprotiline.". Psychiatry the State of the Art. Boston, MA.: Springer. pp. 283–289. doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-2363-1_44. ISBN978-1-4613-2363-1.
^Bruhwyler J, Liégeois JF, Géczy J (July 1997). "Pirlindole: a selective reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A. A review of its preclinical properties". Pharmacological Research. 36 (1): 23–33. doi:10.1006/phrs.1997.0196. PMID9368911.
^Filitis LN, Fedotova OA, Akalaeva TV, Bokanov AI, Ivanov PY, Neustroeva VD, Nyrkova VG, Pershin GN, Shvedov VI (1986). "Tetrahydrocarbazole derivatives and their antitubercular activity in vitro. I. N-Substituted hexahydro-1H-pyrazino[3,2,1-j,k]carbazoles". Khimiko-Farmatsevticheskii Zhurnal (in Russian). 20 (3): 300–303.
^Ivanov PY, Alekseeva LM, Bokanov AI, Shvedov VI, Sheinker YN (January 1987). "New approach to the synthesis of pyrazidol". Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal. 21 (1): 62–65. doi:10.1007/BF00764890. S2CID22179419..
^De Tullio P, Felikidis A, Pirotte B, Liégeois JF, Stachow M, Delarge J, Ceccato A, Hubert P, Crommen J, Géczy J (1998). "First Preparative Enantiomer Resolution of Pirlindole, a Potent Antidepressant Drug". Helvetica Chimica Acta. 81 (3–4): 539–547. doi:10.1002/hlca.19980810307. ISSN0018-019X..
^, FR 2132514 (1972 to Inst Im Sergo); CA, 78, 124628r
^Massimo Ferrari, et al. EP 1044976 (2002 to Erregierre SpA).