Regioselective ortho-arylation and alkenylation of N-alkyl benzamides with boronic acids via ruthenium-catalyzed C-H bond activation: an easy route to fluorenones synthesis.

A highly regioselective ruthenium-catalyzed ortho-arylation of substituted N-alkyl benzamides with aromatic boronic acids in the presence of [{RuCl(2)(p-cymene)}(2)], AgSbF(6), and Ag(2)O is described. Further, ortho-arylated N-alkyl benzamides were converted into fluorenones in the presence of trifluoroacetic anhydride and HCl.