Concise palladium-catalyzed synthesis of dibenzodiazepines and structural analogues

A general and highly efficient protocol for the synthesis of dibenzodiazepines and their structural analogues is reported. In the presence of catalytic quantities of palladium, readily accessible precursors are cross-coupled with ammonia and then spontaneously undergo an intramolecular condensation to form the corresponding dibenzodiazepines in one step. This new strategy is applicable to the construction of a wide variety of dibenzooxazepines and other structurally related heterocycles.