Expedient delivery of quinolinone drugs via a traceless N-nitroso enabled oxidative Heck/amidation cascade.

The exploration of green C-H oxidation for the rapid construction of functional molecules, remains a permanent goal in synthetic chemistry. Herein, a traceless N-nitroso enabled oxidative Heck and amidation cascade was realized, leading to quinolinones that feature green oxidation and great functional group tolerance. The expedient construction of quinolinone containing pharmaceuticals including Flucarbril, Clostamide and Aripiprazole was achieved in a concise and environmentally friendly manner.