Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Remote meta-C-H Functionalization of Arenes Enabled by Multitasking Oxyamides as the Linker

A palladium-catalyzedolefination of meta-C-Hbonds in arenes containing oxyamides using a nitrile template as thedirecting group has been established. The methodology exhibited high meta-selectivity and tolerated different functional groupssuch as benzyloxyamides and olefin substrates. The desired productswere obtained in good yields. This approach enabled the modificationof natural products and drugs and was also applicable on the gram-scale.Furthermore, the directing template was readily removed by selectivecleavage of the amide bond or the O-N bond to obtain meta-functionalized hydroxylamines and benzyl alcohols.The proposed method holds great potential for the design of noveldrugs.