An efficient copper-catalyzed method has been developed for the synthesis of poly-N-heterocycles containing amino acid residues. The protocol uses readily available 2-halobenzamides containing amino acids and their methyl esters, substituted phenylacetonitriles, and malononitrile as the starting materials and the reactions were performed well under mild conditions. The method should provide a novel and useful strategy for synthesis of N-heterocyclic compounds.
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