Copper-catalyzed protodecarboxylation of aromatic carboxylic acids

A catalyst generated from copper(I) oxide and 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline for the first time allows the catalytic protodecarboxylation even of deactivated aromatic carboxylic acids, giving rise to the corresponding arenes. Based on DFT calculations, a reaction pathway is proposed that accurately reflects the experimental results, such as the observed reactivity order of the substrates.