No abstract

A mild and efficient protocol for the intramolecular aromatic C–H oxygenation of 2-biphenylcarboxylic acids has been achieved via iron photocatalysis. The 2-biphenylcarboxylic acids with a diverse array of substituents at both phenyl rings could furnish the oxygenation products in good to excellent yields. We speculate that the aryl carboxylate–iron­(III) complexes should generate the aroyloxy radicals and iron­(II) upon visible light irradiation.

A novel strategy for de novo synthesis of pyridines featuring an unprecedented α-addition of aldehyde and enamide to isonitrile as a key step is described. Under mild conditions, a cascade reaction involving Zn(OTf)2-promoted [1 + 5] cycloaddition of isonitrile with N-formylmethyl-substituted enamide, facile aerobic oxidative aromatization and intermolecular acyl transfer from the pyridinium nitrogen to the 5-hydroxy oxygen, and finally acylation of the 4-amino group by an external acyl chloride efficiently afforded 2-substituted 4-acylamino-5-acyloxypyridines in good to excellent yields.