Synthesis of <i>N</i> -benzyl pyridones from <i>para</i> -quinone methides ( <i>p</i> -QMs) at room temperature: evaluation of <i>in vitro</i> blood-stage antiplasmodial activity

We present a method for synthesizing <i>N</i>-benzyl pyridones from <i>para</i>-quinone methides (<i>p</i>-QMs) and 2- or 4-hydroxy pyridines in the presence of a base at room temperature. The reaction proceeds through 1,6-Michael addition reaction. Simple operation, good to excellent yields, broad substrate scope, and good functional group tolerance are the salient features of the developed methodology. The synthesized <i>N</i>-benzyl pyridones displayed significant <i>in vitro</i> blood-stage antiplasmodial activity at sub-micromolar concentration.