A series of 3-substituted-4-arylquinoline derivatives were synthesized using 3-acetyl-4-arylquinoline. The acetyl function of 3-acetyl-4-arylquinoline was successfully converted into its corresponding enaminone using DMFDMA as a reagent which in turn successfully converted into pyrazole, isoxazole, pyrimidine, phenyl aminoprop-2-en-1-one, pyridin-2-yl-amino-prop-2-en-1-one, 2-methylpyridine-3-carboxylate by treating with reagents such as hydrazine, hydroxylamine, guanidine hydrochloride, aniline, 2-amino pyridine, ethyl acetoacetate, respectively, under solvent-free microwave irradiation as well as under the conventional thermal heating processes. All the synthesized compounds were found to be obtained in better yields under the microwave irradiation over the conventional process. Graphical abstract