Palladium-Catalyzed Decarboxylative ortho-Acylation of Benzamides with α-Oxocarboxylic Acids.

A palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative ortho-acylation of tertiary benzamides with α-oxocarboxylic acids by weak O-coordination has been described. This reaction proceeds smoothly with a high monoacylation selectivity, affording ortho-acylated benzamides in moderate to good yields. When secondary benzamides are employed as the substrates, the formed ortho-acylated benzamides undergo further intramolecular cyclization to provide isoindolinone derivatives. In addition, several transformations of the synthesized ortho-acylated benzamides into a diversity of synthetically valuable products have been demonstrated.