Mediated by sodium persulfate (Na(2)S(2)O(8)), a series of polysubstituted 4-pyridones were synthesized via self-condensation of N-aryl acetoacetamides, during which a novel N to C 1,3-acyl migration should be involved. The structure of 4-pyridone was unequivocally confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. However, the self-condensation of N-benzyl acetoacetamides under the same condition gave polysubstituted 2-pyridones instead of 4-pyridones.

A robust one-pot process has been developed for the synthesis of a variety of furoA, Ag 2 O (0.058 g, 0.25 mmol) and KOH (0.028 g, 0.5 mmol) was well stirred for 1.5 h under microwaves in CH 3 CN (3.0 mL), then to the mixture was added water (10 mL) and HCl (0.5 M, 1 mL), followed by extraction with CH 2 Cl 2 (15 mL 3). The solvent was removed under reduced pressure, and the residue was purified by a short flash silica gel column chromatography (eluent: diethyl ether/petroleum ether = 1/2) to give compound 2b; yield: 0.084 g (76%).

In the presence of sodium persulfate, N‐aryl acetoacetamides undergo self‐condensation and novel 1,3‐acyl migration to afford biologically important polysubstituted 4‐pyridones.

The tandem cyclization of ortho‐(propargylamino)acetophenones or ortho‐(propargylamino)benzaldehydes affords the title products in a regiospecific manner as single diastereomers.