Ruthenium(II)-Catalyzed C–C/C–N Coupling of 2‑Arylquinazolinones with Vinylene Carbonate: Access to Fused Quinazolinones

In this work, ruthenium­(II)-catalyzed C–C/C–N annulation of 2-arylquinazolinones with vinylene carbonate is reported to synthesize fused quinazolinones. This catalytic system tolerates a wide range of substrates with excellent functional-group compatibility. In this transformation, the vinylene carbonate acts as an ethynol surrogate without any external oxidant involved. Furthermore, preliminary mechanistic studies were conducted, and a plausible catalytic cycle was also proposed.