A simple and efficient nitrile-directed meta-C-H olefination, acetoxylation, and iodination of biaryl compounds is reported. Compared to the previous approach of installing a complex U-shaped template to achieve a molecular U-turn and assemble the large-sized cyclophane transition state for the remote C-H activation, a synthetically useful phenyl nitrile functional group could also direct remote meta-C-H activation. This reaction provides a useful method for the modification of biaryl compounds because the nitrile group can be readily converted to amines, acids, amides, or other heterocycles. Notably, the remote meta-selectivity of biphenylnitriles could not be expected from previous results with a macrocyclophane nitrile template. DFT computational studies show that a ligand-containing Pd-Ag heterodimeric transition state (TS) favors the desired remote meta-selectivity. Control experiments demonstrate the directing effect of the nitrile group and exclude the possibility of non-directed meta-C-H activation. Substituted 2-pyridone ligands were found to be key in assisting the cleavage of the meta-C-H bond in the concerted metalation-deprotonation (CMD) process.

Site-selective functionalization of C-H bonds will ultimately afford chemists transformative tools for editing and constructing complex molecular architectures. Towards this goal, it is essential to develop strategies to activate C-H bonds that are distal from a functional group. In this context, distinguishing remote C-H bonds on adjacent carbon atoms is an extraordinary challenge due to the lack of electronic or steric bias between the two positions. Herein, we report the design of a catalytic system leveraging a remote directing template and a transient norbornene mediator to selectively activate a previously inaccessible remote C-H bond that is one bond further away. The generality of this approach has been demonstrated with a range of heterocycles, including a complex anti-leukaemia agent and hydrocinnamic acid substrates.

A cornerstone of modern synthetic chemistry rests on the ability to manipulate the reactivity of a carbon center by rendering it either electrophilic or nucleophilic. However, accessing a similar reactivity spectrum with boron-based reagents has been significantly more challenging. While classical nucleophilic carbon-based reagents normally do not require steric protection, readily accessible, unprotected boron-based nucleophiles have not yet been realized. Herein, we demonstrate that the bench stable closo-hexaborate cluster anion can engage in a nucleophilic substitution reaction with a wide array of organic and main group electrophiles. The resulting molecules containing B‒C bonds can be further converted to tricoordinate boron species widely used in organic synthesis.