Vistas in the domain of 3-acetyl-4-hydroxy-2-quinolinone derivatives (AHQ) and their applications.

This review discusses the significant advances in the current status and latest synthesis techniques for N-substituted 3-acetyl-4-hydroxyquinolinones. They are an important class of alkaloids possessing different electrophilic and nucleophilic centers. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the synthesis of 3-acetylquinolones via various reactions, emphasizing recent developments and challenges. Synthetic transformations of quinolone are focused on electrophilic substitution reactions supported by their mechanistic pathways, as well as nucleophilic substitution reactions and cycloaddition reactions, which have allowed access to an extensive scope of binary and fused heterocyclic scaffolds, including pyrazoles, imidazoles, tetrazoles, pyridines, pyrimidines, triazines, azepines, and pyranones. Also, the utilization of quinolone reactions as key intermediates in the ongoing and forthcoming marketed pharmaceutical syntheses is discussed. Additionally, this review covers various potential applications, including complexation, fluorescence sensing, chemical pH sensors, agricultural, and anticorrosion.