Iodine-Catalyzed Three-Component Cascade Reaction for the Synthesis of Substituted 2-Phenylnaphtho[1,3]selenazoles under Transition-Metal-Free Conditions.

An efficient molecular iodine-catalyzed three-component cascade reaction for the construction of 2-phenylnaphtho[2,1-d]selenazoles from naphthalen-2-amine, aldehydes, and selenium powder has been developed. The present approach has the advantages of metal-free conditions, simple operation, and available raw materials. Moreover, the mechanism of the study proved that the reaction underwent a radical process.