Rearrangement of 5’,6’,7’,8’-tetrahydro-1’H-spiro(cyclohexane-1,2’-quinazolin)-4’(3’H)-one during the Vilsmeier reaction

Treatment of 5’,6’,7’,8’-tetrahydro-1’H-spiro(cyclohexane-1,2’-quinazolin)-4’ (3’H)-one with POCl3 and DMF gives a mixture of 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydroacridine-4-carbonitrile and 4,5-diformyl-2,3,6,7,8,10-hexahydroacridine-8a(1H)-carbonitrile, both products resulting from cascade transformations of the primary Vilsmeier intermediates.