Ligand-Enabled, Copper-Promoted Regio- and Chemoselective Hydroxylation of Arenes, Aryl Halides, and Aryl Methyl Ethers.

We report here a practical method for the ortho C-H hydroxylation of benzamides with inexpensive copper(II) acetate monohydrate and a pyridine ligand. An intra- and intermolecular ligand combination was explored to achieve regio- and chemoselective hydroxylation. Interestingly, typical regiochemical scrambling associated with the C-H activation was further resolved by introducing a ligand-directed ortho hydroxylation of haloarenes and aryl methyl ethers.