Ligand-enabled triple C-H activation reactions: one-pot synthesis of diverse 4-aryl-2-quinolinones from propionamides

Diverse 4-aryl-2-quinolinones are prepared from propionamides in one pot by ligand-promoted triple sequential C-H activation reactions and a stereospecific Heck reaction. In these cascade reactions, three new C-C bonds and one C-N bond are formed to rapidly build molecular complexity from propionic acid.