A concise and versatile synthesis of viridicatin alkaloids from cyanoacetanilides.

The efficient synthesis of 3-hydroxy-4-arylquinolin-2(1H)-ones through one-pot Knoevenagel condensation/epoxidation of cyanoacetanilides followed by decyanative epoxide-arene cyclization is described. A convergent assembly with functionalized aldehydes allows for rapid synthesis with diverse substitution patterns. Isolation of 3-hydroxy-4-arylquinolin-2(1H)-ones is readily accomplished by precipitation and filtration.