The full control of positional selectivity is of prime importance in C–H activation technology. Chelation assistance served as the stimulus for the development of a plethora of ortho-selective arene functionalizations. In sharp contrast, meta-selective C–H functionalizations continue to be scarce, with all ruthenium-catalysed transformations currently requiring difficult to remove or modify nitrogen-containing heterocycles. Herein, we describe a unifying concept to access a wealth of meta-decorated arenes by a unique arene ligand effect in proximity-induced ruthenium(II) C–H activation catalysis. The transformative nature of our strategy is mirrored by providing a step-economical entry to a range of meta-substituted arenes, including ketones, acids, amines and phenols—key structural motifs in crop protection, material sciences, medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical industries.

Nature Communications 8, Article number: 15430 (2017)
doi:10.1038/ncomms15430

https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms15430