Synthesis of α‐Oxo and α‐hydroxy‐1‐benzyl‐1,4‐dihydro‐3(2 H )‐isoquinolinones

The reaction of some primary amines with the methyl 2‐[(α‐oxobenzyl)‐(α‐bromo)methyl]phenylacetate ( 5 ) afforded the isoquinolinones 7a‐d , which in turn were hydrogenated to 10a‐d . The synthesis of these compounds was designed on the basis of a potential depressant and antiinflammatory activity found in other structurally related compounds.