α-Bromoacylpolymethylbenzenes 2a-m react with fuming nitric acid in acetic anhydride to give 2-(nitromethyl)-(α-bromoacyl) polymethylbenzenes 3a-m in good isolated yields. Compounds 3a-j undergo the intramolecular nucleophilic substitution/cyclization in the presence of 1 equiv. of base either in benzene or N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) to provide the corresponding substituted 3-nitroindan-1-ones 4a-j in quantitative yields as mixtures of ...
