Arylation of Weak C- and N-Nucleophiles: Solving the ortho-Substitution Problem

Whilst the arylation of many classes of nucleophile is straightforward via either catalytic or stoichiometric methods, the arylation of weak nucleophiles (e.g., imides or cyclic diones) remains extremely challenging. This is particularly true when the arylating agent is ortho-substituted. We will develop general, convenient and scalable methods for the arylation of weak nucleophiles using main group reagents and catalysts. Particular emphasis will be placed on the installation of ortho- and di-ortho-substituted aryl groups. This will provide a convenient and practical route to agrochemically-important motifs that are challenging to access in a concise fashion by any currently available method.