Palladium-catalyzed C(sp(3))-H arylation of lactic acid: efficient synthesis of chiral beta-aryl-alpha-hydroxy acids

A Pd-catalyzed arylation of lactic acid employing 8-aminoquinoline as the directing group has been reported. The protocol is found to be compatible with a broad range of synthetically useful functional groups, thus providing a practical route to chiral beta-aryl-alpha-hydroxy acids. Further, the new reaction has also been applied to the synthesis of pharmaceutically important a-hydroxy acids, such as LY519818 and tesaglitazar.