Regiospecific Three-Component Access to Fluorescent 2,4-Disubstituted Quinolines via One-Pot Coupling-Addition-Cyclocondensation-Sulfur Extrusion Sequence†

2,4-Di- and 2,4,7-trisubstituted quinolines are readily synthesized in a regioselective fashion from acyl chlorides, terminal alkynes, and 2-aminothiophenols by a consecutive, microwave-assisted one-pot three-component Sonogashira coupling-Michael addition-cyclocondensation sequence and following sulfur extrusion in moderate to good yields. The terminal sulfur extrusion step was studied by DFT computations. The absorption spectra of 2,4-disubstituted quinolines can be rationalized by DFT-ZINDO-CI calculations and all derivatives show intense blue emission upon UV excitation.