Diverse tandem cyclization reactions of o-cyanoanilines and diaryliodonium salts with copper catalyst for the construction of quinazolinimine and acridine scaffolds.

Two cyclization modes are realized to produce different nitrogen-containing heterocycles, i.e., quinazolin-4(3H)-imines and acridines by assembling o-cyanoanilines and diaryliodonium salts via tandem reaction pathways.