Remote C-H Activation of Various N-Heterocycles Using a Single Template

A single and simple ortho-sulfonyl benzonitrile template was developed to achieve remote C-H olefination of six different classes of N-heterocycles. We demonstrate that, by varying precatalysts and conditions, the same template can be applied to the remote C-H activation of six structurally distinct heterocyclic scaffolds, and the site-selectivity can be predicted based on distance and geometry. Furthermore, this new development shows that template-directed remote C-H activation is possible through macrocyclopalladation processes with smaller ring sizes.