Rh(I)-Catalyzed C6-Selective Decarbonylative Alkylation of 2-Pyridones with Alkyl Carboxylic Acids and Anhydrides.

A Rh-catalyzed chelation-assisted C6-selective C-H activation/alkylation of 2-pyridones with readily available alkyl carboxylic acids or anhydrides is introduced. The reaction proceeds via substrate decarbonylation. This approach merges C-H functionalization with readily available anhydrides, allowing for the efficient synthesis of various C6-alkylated 2-pyridones with good functional group tolerance.