R. Bossio et al., STUDIES ON ISOCYANIDES AND RELATED-COMPOUNDS - A FACILE SYNTHESIS OF IMIDAZO[1,5-A]IMIDAZOLES, Liebigs Annalen der Chemie, (11), 1993, pp. 1229-1231
The Ugi four-component condensation between 1,1,-diethoxy-2-isocyanoet
hane (2), cycloketones 1, amine hydrochlorides 4, and potassium thiocy
anate (3a) or selenocyanate (3b) affords spiroimidazoles 5, which are
cyclized to spiroimidazo[1,5-alimidazole-5-thiones (or selenones) 6.