Iodine-catalyzed synthesis of dibenzo[b,h][1,6]naphthyridine-11-carboxamides via a domino reaction involving double elimination of hydrogen bromide.

An iodine-catalyzed reaction of 2-aminobenzamides and mucobromic acid was described and utilized to synthesize a variety of 6-oxo-5,6-dihydrodibenzo[b,h][1,6]naphthyridine-11-carboxamide derivatives in refluxing THF. As the two bromine atoms in mucobromic acid were found missing in the dibenzonaphthyridine products, a domino-type reaction mechanism involving a double elimination of hydrogen bromide was proposed.