Synthesis of 1,2-dihydro-2-oxo-4-quinolinyl phosphates from 2-acyl-benzoic acids.

We report a facile synthesis of 1,2-dihydro-2-oxo-4-quinolinyl phosphates (1a-l) starting from 2-acyl-benzoic acids (2a-l) in the presence of phosphoryl azides via a one-pot cascade reaction involving a Curtius rearrangement, an intramolecular nucleophilic addition of the enol carbon to the isocyanate intermediate, and an addition-elimination of the enol oxygen to the phosphoryl azide. During the reaction three new bonds are formed under mild conditions to yield 1,2-dihydro-2-oxo-4-quinolinyl phosphates in modest yields.