An efficient and facile synthesis of substituted cinnoline and benzo[h]cinnoline derivatives

New substituted 3-amino-5,7,8-trihalo-6-hydroxycinnoline-4-carbonitriles 7 and 8 and the 3-amino-5-chloro-6-hydroxy-benzo[h]cinnoline-4-carbonitrile 9 were synthesized in two-steps starting from tetrahalo-1,4-benzoquinones or dichloro-1,4-naphthoquinones, malononitrile and hydrazine.