Triflic Anhydride Promoted Intramolecular Cyclization of N-Aryl Cinnamides: Access to Polysubstituted Quinolin-2(1H)-ones

A facile and efficient synthesis of polysubstituted quinolin-2(1 H )-ones is developed via intramolecular cyclization of readily available N -aryl cinnamides promoted by triflic anhydride in N , N -dimethyl trifluoroacetamide (DTA) under mild conditions.