“…The 2- and 2′-nitrochalcones, which are readily available via the Claisen–Schmidt condensation between the corresponding ortho -nitro acetophenones and benzaldehydes, 1 have long been a convenient starting point for the preparation of a wide range of heterocyclic compounds like pyrrolo[2,3- b ]quinolones, 1 quinoline N -oxides, 2 3-aminoindoles, 3 carbazoles, 4 benzothiophenes, 5 indolin-3-ones, 6 quinolines, 7 thioaurones, 8 sulphonamides 9 and tetralones 10 (Scheme 1). Herein, we would like to report an alternative, quite non-trivial domino-type transformation of 2′-nitrochalcones affording 4-(het)aryl-3-(2-carboxyanilino)maleimides (Scheme 1).…”