Synthesis of unsymmetrically substituted bipyridines by palladium-catalyzed direct C-H arylation of pyridine N-oxides.

Substituted bipyridines were efficiently prepared by direct coupling between pyridine N-oxides and halopyridines using a palladium catalyst. Pyridine N-oxides with electron-withdrawing substituents gave the best yields. This method allows the convenient preparation of 2,2'-, 2,3'-, and 2,4'-bipyridines which are useful as functionalized ligands for metal complexes or as building blocks for supramolecular architectures.