Abstract A highly effective one-pot Friedländer quinoline synthesis from o- nitroarylcarbaldehydes and ketones or aldehydes was developed and the scope and limitations of the method were examined. The o-nitroarylcarbaldehydes were reduced to o- aminoarylcarbaldehydes with iron in the presence of a catalytic amount of aqueous hydrochloric acid; the amino compounds were then condensed in situ with ketones or ...