Palladium-Catalyzed Intra- and Intermolecular C–H Arylation Using Mesylates: Synthetic Scope and Mechanistic Studies

This paper describes the development of Pd-catalyzed inter- and intramolecular direct arylation using mesylates. Furthermore, a sequential mesylation/arylation protocol using phenols as substrates is described. These transformations are general with respect to the electronics of the C-H substrates and allow for the synthesis of diverse heterocyclic motifs in good yields. Both arenes and heteroarenes efficiently participate in these reactions. Preliminary mechanistic studies are presented for both inter- and intramolecular arylations.