An iodine-catalyzed reaction of 2-aminobenzamides and mucobromic acid was described and utilized to synthesize a variety of 6-oxo-5,6-dihydrodibenzo[b,h][1,6]naphthyridine-11-carboxamide derivatives in refluxing THF. As the two bromine atoms in mucobromic acid were found missing in the dibenzonaphthyridine products, a domino-type reaction mechanism involving a double elimination of hydrogen bromide was proposed.
![Graphical abstract: Iodine-catalyzed synthesis of dibenzo[b,h][1,6]naphthyridine-11-carboxamides via a domino reaction involving double elimination of hydrogen bromide](http://hg.y866.cn/compound/lib/scimg/usr/1/C5OB02620B.jpg)