DMSO–PdI2 as a powerful oxidizing couple of alkynes into benzils: one-pot synthesis of nitrogen-containing five- or six-membered heterocycles

PdI2 in DMSO promoted the oxidation of functionalized diarylalkynes into benzil derivatives in excellent yields. This new oxidation reaction was achieved with short reaction times and low loading of palladium catalyst. This efficient catalytic process has been applied successfully to the one-pot construction of a series of nitrogen-containing heterocycles of biological interest according to a tandem oxidation–nitrogen nucleophiles condensation–cyclization.