Ruthenium-Catalyzed Decarboxylative ortho-Di-2-pyridination of Aryl Carboxylic Acids

We report a ruthenium-catalyzed decarboxylative ortho-di-2-pyrination of aryl carboxylic acids to selectively access ortho-di(2-pyridyl)arenes via a directing group relay strategy, which starts with the decarboxylative ortho-C–H 2-pyridination of aryl carboxylic acids, followed by 2-pyridyl directed ortho-C–H 2-pyridination. The decarboxylation is envisioned to proceed with the assistance of the 2-pyridyl group. The aryl carboxylic acid is realized to be capable of accelerating the direct C–H bond 2-pyridination and enhancing the regioselectivity by promoting proton transfer events. This protocol utilizes the broadly available aryl carboxylic acids and eliminates the manipulation of directing groups, thus providing an efficient and economical pathway to diverse ortho-di(2-pyridyl)arenes.