This study presents the first example of the Pd-catalyzed cascade reactions of 5-oxohexanenitrile with arylboronic acids, affording important synthon 2-methylpyridines that can be further translated through C(sp3)-H functionalization to construct pyridine derivatives. Furthermore, this chemistry allows 5-oxo-5-arylpentanenitrile to react with arylboronic acids to provide unsymmetrical 2,6-diarylpyridines. This protocol paves the way for the practical and atom economical syntheses of valuable pyridines with broad functional groups in moderate to excellent yields under mild conditions.
Keywords: arylboronic acids; carbopalladation; cascade coupling; ketonitrile; pyridine.