Quinolines from the cyclocondensation of isatoic anhydride with ethyl acetoacetate: preparation of ethyl 4-hydroxy-2-methylquinoline-3-carboxylate and derivatives.

A convenient two-step synthesis of ethyl 4-hydroxy-2-methylquinoline-3-carboxylate derivatives has been developed starting from commercially available 2-aminobenzoic acids. In step 1, the anthranilic acids are smoothly converted to isatoic anhydrides using solid triphosgene in THF. In step 2, the anhydride electrophiles are reacted with the sodium enolate of ethyl acetoacetate, generated from sodium hydroxide, in warm -dimethylacetamide resulting in the formation of substituted quinolines.