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The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the contributions and recent advances made by Iranian scientists in the field of isocyanide-based reactions between 1999 and 2009. With over 100 publications during this period, Iranians are responsible for approximately 10% of all publications in the world involving isocyanide-based multicomponent reactions (IMCRs). Some important aspects of these IMCRs include the execution of reactions in green reaction mediums like water or ethanol, high atom economies, mild reaction conditions, high yields, and catalyst-free processes. On the other hand, in most of these reactions, new classes of heterocyclic compounds with potential biological and medicinal activities have been reported.

A novel and efficient method has been developed for the synthesis of highly functionalized benzo[g]- and dihydropyrano[2,3-g]chromene derivatives via addition and subsequently cyclization of 2-hydroxynaphthalene-1,4-dione or 2,5-dihydroxycyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione to the condensation product of an aldehyde with malononitrile in the presence of a catalytic amount of Et(3)N in CH(3)CN at ambient temperature. The procedures are very facile. The products can be obtained with simple filtration in high yields, and no more purification is needed. These compounds are closely related to ring systems such as beta-lapachone, alpha-xiloidone, lambertellin, pyranokunthone B, and WS-5995A, which have a broad spectrum of biological activities.

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