Transition-Metal-Free Decarboxylative Arylation of 2-Picolinic Acids with Arenes under Air Conditions.

A facile, transition-metal-free, and direct decarboxylative arylation of 2-picolinic acids with simple arenes is described. The oxidative decarboxylative arylation of 2-picolinic acids with arenes proceeds readily via N-chloro carbene intermediates to afford 2-arylpyridines in satisfactory to good yields under transition-metal-free conditions. This new type of decarboxylative arylation is operationally simple and scalable and exhibits high functional-group tolerance. Various synthetically useful functional groups, such as halogen atoms, methoxycarbonyl, and nitro, remain intact during the decarboxylative arylation of 2-picolinic acids.