A novel and efficient isocyanide-based multicomponent reaction between alkyl or aryl isocyanides 1, 2,3-diaminomaleonitrile (2), naphthalene-2,3-diamines (6) or benzene-1,2-diamine (9), and 3-oxopentanedioic acid (3) or Meldrums acid (4) or ketones 7 was developed for the ecologic synthesis, at room temperature under mild conditions, of 1,6-dihydropyrazine-2,3-dicarbonitriles 5a -5f in H 2 O without using any catalyst, and of 3,4-dihydrobenzo[g]quinoxalin-2-amine and 3,4-dihydro-3,3-dimethylquinoxalin-2-amine derivatives 8a -8g and 10a -10e, respectively, in the presence of a catalytic amount of p-toluenesulfonic acid (TsOH) in EtOH, in good to excellent yields (Scheme 1).Introduction.