Ruthenium-catalyzed intramolecular carbocyclization of alkynes with an sp3 carbon involving an oxidative deprotonation process

A novel RuCl3-catalyzed intramolecular oxidative hydration-deprotonation-cyclization method was developed for the synthesis of substituted quinolinones. The method serves as the first example of direct carbocyclization of an alkyne with an sp(3) carbon at the alpha-position of an amide through an oxidative deprotonation process.