Transition metal/Brønsted acid cooperative catalysis enabled facile synthesis of 8-hydroxyquinolines through one-pot reactions of -aminophenol, aldehydes and alkynes.

A convenient and straightforward three-component one-pot strategy has been developed for the synthesis of 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives. Under the cooperative catalysis of silver(i) triflate and trifluoroacetic acid, -aminophenol reacted with a range of aldehydes and alkynes under mild reactions, affording the corresponding 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives with good to excellent yields. These transformations exhibited exceptional substrate generality and functional group compatibility.