In reactions with quinoxalinium salts in alcoholic-base media indan-1,3-dione acts as a C nucleophile, adding at the 2 or 3 position of the heterocycle to give the corresponding ylidene derivatives; attack by the nucleophile at the C(3) atom (the Β position relative to the quaternary nitrogen atom) is preceded by addition of alcohol at the a position. Dissociative substitution at the C(2) atom in 2-alkoxy-3-(1,3-dioxoindan-2-ylidene)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoxalines by another nucleophile makes it possible to regard lyate complexes as probable intermediates in cyclizations of 1,4-diazinium salts with dinucleophiles.