Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed C6-Selective Arylation of 2-Pyridones and Related Heterocycles Using Quinone Diazides: Syntheses of Heteroarylated Phenols

An efficient, direct C6-arylation of 2-pyridones has been successfully accomplished with quinone diazides under Rh(III)-catalyzed redox-neutral conditions. The optimized method is simple, mild, and highly regioselective with a broad substrate scope. The strict regioselectivity is guided by the pyridyl substituent attached to the nitrogen of the pyridone ring. As the directing 2-pyridyl group can easily be removed at any suitable stage after functionalization, the method provides a facile access to complex heteroarylated phenol moieties by wide-ranging heterocyclic scaffolds.