Iodine-catalyzed synthesis of N,N'-diaryl-o-phenylenediamines from cyclohexanones and anilines using DMSO and O as oxidants.

A novel I2-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative aromatization of cyclohexanones and anilines to synthesize N,N'-diaryl-o-phenylenediamines has been unprecedentedly developed with dimethyl sulfoxide and oxygen employed as mild terminal oxidants. To prove the rationality of the two separate dehydration steps of the proposed mechanism, a resulting I2-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative aromatization of cyclohexenones and anilines to synthesize diarylamines has also been reported.