ortho-Lithiophenyl isocyanide: a versatile precursor for 3H-quinazolin-4-ones and 3H-quinazolin-4-thiones.

ortho-Lithiophenyl isocyanide has been generated from ortho-bromophenyl isocyanide and successfully employed toward the synthesis of 2-substituted phenyl isocyanides as well as 2,3-disubstituted 3H-quinazoline-4-ones and 3H-quinazolin-4-thiones.