Synthesis of Spiro-dihydroquinoline and Octahydrophenanthrene Derivatives via Palladium-Catalyzed Intramolecular Oxidative Arylation.

A method for intramolecular sp2 C-H oxidative arylation of unactivated cyclic olefins has been developed to access spiro-dihydroquinoline and octahydrophenanthrene derivatives in a straightforward and efficient manner. Bearing picolinamide as a directing group, the alkenyl anilines cyclized to afford spiro-dihydroquinolines in moderate to excellent yields via direct oxidative arylation, while the alkenyl benzylamines furnished the octahydrophenanthrene derivatives in moderate yields via sequential oxidative arylation and double acetoxylation.