Rhodium-catalyzed C-HCOolefin coupling reactions A chelation-assisted direct carbonylation at the ortho CH bond in the benzene ring of 2-arylpyridines

The reaction of 2-arylpyridines with ethylene and carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalytic amount of Rh 4 (CO) 12 results in selective carbonylation at the ortho C—H bond. The reaction is heavily dependent on the solvents used, with DMA (N,N-dimethylacetamide) being the solvent of choice. Steric factors are also important determinants of the efficiency of the reaction.