Iodide-Catalyzed Selenium-Assisted Sequential Multicomponent Synthesis of a Luminescence Benzo-Oxazino-Isoindole Framework.

We have described an unexpected pathway using the R-NC/Se system for the synthesis of the unreported benzo-oxazino-isoindole framework by the iodide-catalyzed selenium-assisted sequential multicomponent reaction of the Knoevenagel adduct of ninhydrin and malononitrile, isocyanide, amine, and elemental selenium under mild reaction conditions. The photophysical properties of the products were investigated by absorption and emission spectroscopy, revealing that the new heterocyclic system has good fluorescence properties.