A facile and diastereoselective access to functionalised benzopyrano[3,4-a] quinolizines via a pyridine-based three-component reaction.

The reaction of 2-oxo-2 H-chromene-3-carbonitriles with dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates and pyridines results in a three-component condensation reaction in which the 2-oxo-2 H-chromene-3-carbonitrile group acts as a dipolarophile to produce benzopyrano[3,4- a] quinolizines under mild conditions in good yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]