Site-Selective Ruthenium-Catalyzed C-H Bond Arylations with Boronic Acids: Exploiting Isoindolinones as a Weak Directing Group.

Biologically relevant N-arylisoindolinones efficiently underwent arylation reactions under ruthenium catalysis via C-H bond functionalization. The reactions exclusively led to monoarylated products, and only ortho selectivity was observed in the aromatic ring connected to the nitrogen atom. Interestingly, no C-H bond functionalization was observed in the other benzene ring in the ortho position with respect to the carbonyl group. This ruthenium-catalyzed reaction displayed a high functional group tolerance, and it employed readily available and benchmark stable boronic acid and potassium aryltrifluoroborate derivatives as coupling partners. An appealing late-stage functionalization of indoprofen applying this methodology is showcased.