Carboxy Group as a Remote and Selective Chelating Group for C?H Activation of Arenes

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/anie.201910691

The first example of carboxy group assisted, remote-selective C(sp²)?H activation with a Pd^II catalyst has been developed and proceeds through a possible κ² coordination of the carboxy group, thus suppressing the ortho-C?H activation through κ¹ coordination. Besides meta-C?H olefination, direct meta-arylation of hydrocinnamic acid derivatives with low-cost aryl iodides has been achieved for the first time. These findings may motivate the exploration of novel reactivities of the carboxy assisted C?H activation reactions with intriguing selectivities.