Carboxyl- and formyl-substituted arenes are key motifs in organic chemistry, typically prepared via electrophilic aromatic substitution (SEAr) reactions. SEAr reactions hold tremendous synthetic value...

Metal carbenes are highly useful intermediates in organic synthesis. However, not all classes of carbene polarity are catalytically accessible, nor are there common precursors known to synthesize all ...

β-Hydroxy carbonyl scaffolds are of paramount importance due to their presence in a variety of natural products and bioactive molecules. In this study, we present a direct palladium-catalyzed β-C(sp3)–H hydroxylation of aliphatic carboxylic acids. The reported method employs convenient and readily available TBHP as an oxidant and provides an efficient, one-step route to a diverse range of β-hydroxy acids. Key aspects include the compatibility of this method with challenging α-non-quaternary carboxylic acids as substrates and excellent functional group tolerance. This newly developed method is expected to prove useful for generating compound libraries relevant to multiple disciplines.

A direct palladium-catalyzed γ-lactonization of free carboxylic acids via C–O reductive elimination as a key step is described. Notable aspects of this protocol include the use of convenient and easil...