Palladium-catalyzed chemoselective decarboxylative ortho acylation of benzoic acids with α-oxocarboxylic acids.

Palladium-catalyzed chemoselective decarboxylative cross coupling of benzoic acids with α-oxocarboxylic acids was realized via an arene sp(2) C-H functionalization process. This work represents the first example of transition-metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions with two acids acting in different roles. The synthetic utility of this method was confirmed by the synthesis of pitofenone, an antispasmodic used in the combined drug Spasmalgon.