Nickel-catalyzed chelation-assisted transformations involving ortho C-H bond activation: regioselective oxidative cycloaddition of aromatic amides to alkynes.

Although the pioneering example of ortho metalation involving cleavage of C-H bonds was achieved using a nickel complex (Kleiman, J. P.; Dubeck, M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1963, 85, 1544), no examples of catalysis using nickel complexes have been reported. In this work, the Ni-catalyzed transformation of ortho C-H bonds utilizing chelation assistance, such as oxidative cycloaddition of aromatic amides with alkynes, has been achieved.