Synthesis of 6-phenanthridinones and their heterocyclic analogues through palladium-catalyzed sequential aryl-aryl and N-aryl coupling

6-Phenanthridinones and their heterocyclic analogues were synthesized through a one-pot procedure based on consecutive Pd-catalyzed aryl-aryl and N-aryl coupling from iodoarenes ortho-substituted by electron-releasing substituents and amides of o-bromoarene- and heteroarenecarboxylic acids.