Synthesis of Dihydroquinoxalinones from Biomass-Derived Keto Acids and o-Phenylenediamines

A novel catalyst-free cascade amination/cyclization/reduction reaction was developed for the synthesis of various Dihydroquinoxalinones under mild conditions from accessible biomass-derived keto acids and 1,2-phenylenediamines with ammonia borane as a hydrogen donor. This single-step approach enables a simple and eco-friendly route toward the direct synthesis of 12 kinds of Dihydroquinoxalinones in moderate to excellent yields in the green solvent dimethyl carbonate. The results of deuterium-labeling experiments and density function calculations demonstrate that the reductive process proceeds along a double hydrogen transfer pathway. An acceptable yield of Dihydroquinoxalinone can be afforded in a gram-scale experiment, illustrating the practicality of the as-reported reaction system.