The carbonylation in toluene of 2-nitrochalcones at 20 bar and 100 degrees C, with Pd(TMB)(2) as catalyst and TMPhen as cocatalyst (TMBH = 2,4,6-trimethyl benzoic acid; TMPhen = 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) gave the corresponding 2-acyl indoles in 60-98% yields. The use as catalyst of Ru-3(CO)(12) activated by a rigid alpha-diimine ligand such as DIAN-Me((*)), in ethanol-water, at 30 bar and 170 degrees C, gave a mixture of the corresponding acyl indoles and quinolines, the latter being usually the most abundant products.