Isoquinoline reacts with dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates in the presence of kojic acid or 8-hydroxyquinoline to generate 1,2-dihydroisoquinoline derivatives. The simplicity, mild reaction conditions and high yields of products make it an interesting process compared to other approaches. The compounds have been analyzed for antibacterial activity against Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria. The results indicated that 1,2-dihydroisoquinolines derived from kojic acid are effective against all of the studied bacteria especially against Bacillus subtilis, while the products obtained from 8-hydroxyquinoline are active only against Gram positive bacteria.
