Synthesis of 3,4‐Dihydroquinazolin‐4‐one: Selenium‐Catalyzed Reductive N‐Heterocyclization of N‐(2‐nitrobenzoyl)amides with Carbon Monoxide.

A catalytic synthetic method of 3,4-dihydroquinazolin-4-ones has been developed. When N-(2-nitrobenzoyl)amides were treated with carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalytic amount of selenium, reductive N-heterocyclization of N-(2-nitrobenzoyl)amide efficiently proceeded to give the corresponding 3,4-dihydroquinazolin-4-ones in moderate to good yields.