I-2-DMSO mediated multicomponent convergent synthesis of imidazo[2,1-a]isoquinoline derivatives via a triple in situ cross-trapping strategy

An I-2-DMSO mediated one-pot approach to imidazo[2,1-a]isoquinoline derivatives from readily available aryl methyl ketones and isoquinolin-1-amine has been demonstrated. This triple in situ cross-trapping strategy realizes the convergent integration of one self-sorting domino sequence with two linear domino sequences, efficiently generating multiple C-C/C-N/C-S/C-I bonds, along with a new imidazole ring and one quaternary carbon center. Furthermore, the iodo group and methylthio group of the product can undergo further transformations through coupling or oxidation reactions, demonstrating the utility of this method in synthetic chemistry.