Ruthenium-Catalyzed Cyclization of Anilides with Substituted Propiolates or Acrylates: An Efficient Route to 2‑Quinolinones

A Ru-catalyzed cyclization of anilides
with propiolates or acrylates
affording 2-quinolinones having diverse functional groups in good
to excellent yields is described. Later, 2-quinolinones were converted
into 3-halo-2-quinolinones and 2-chloroquinolines. The proposed mechanism
was strongly supported by experimental evidence and deuterium labeling
studies.