It is isomeric with other naphthyridines including quinazoline, phthalazine and cinnoline.

Although quinoxaline itself is mainly of academic interest, quinoxaline derivatives are used as dyes, pharmaceuticals (such as varenicline), and antibiotics such as olaquindox, carbadox, echinomycin, levomycin and actinoleutin.

The parent substance of the group, quinoxaline, results when glyoxal is condensed with 1,2-diaminobenzene.

[4] Substituted derivatives arise when α-ketonic acids, α-chlorketones, α-aldehyde alcohols and α-ketone alcohols are used in place of diketones.

[3] Quinoxaline and its analogues may also be formed by reduction of amino acids substituted 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DFDNB):[5] One study[6] used 2-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX) as a catalyst in the reaction of benzil with 1,2-diaminobenzene: The antitumoral properties of quinoxaline compounds have been of interest.