Convenient and efficient method for the synthesis of substituted quinolines via one-pot heteroannulation reaction of o-amino arylketones with α-methylene ketones under solvent-free conditions

A facile and practical approach to the synthesis of a wide range of functionalized quinolines was developed via a tandem heteroannulation reaction of o-aminoarylketones with diverse α-methylene ketones in high yields by using tetrabutylammonium peroxydisulfate as a versatile reagent (25 mol%) at ambient temperature under solvent-free conditions. This protocol was applied to the synthesis of drug-like molecules, which are key intermediates of alkaloid camptothecin.