Palladium-Catalyzed Distal m-C-H Functionalization of Arylacetic Acid Derivatives.

Herein, we present m-C-H olefination on derivatives of phenylacetic acids by tethering with a simple nitrile-based template through palladium catalysis. Notably, the versatility of the method is evaluated with a wide range of phenylacetic acid derivatives for obtaining the meta-olefination products in fair to excellent yields with outstanding selectivities under mild conditions. Significantly, the present strategy is successfully exemplified for the synthesis of drugs/natural product analogues (naproxen, ibuprofen, paracetamol, and cholesterol).