A totalsynthesis strategy was developed for the synthesis of luotonin A, B and their analogues using synergistic FeCl3/KI-catalyzed oxidative cyclization. This protocol utilizes cheap and widely available N-propargyl 2-methyl-quinazolinones and arylamines under mild conditions, and it has a wide substrate scope and high atom economy. Different natural products (luotonin A, B and derivatives) can be
cycloaddition reaction of an arylpropargyl unit with a carbonitrile as the key step. These educts are conveniently accessible in two steps from a known precursor. The newly developed route is orthogonal to a previously used cycloaddition approach, which gave access to 2- or 4-substituted luotonin A derivatives.