Pd-Catalyzed Decarbonylative C-N Bond Formation Via Unimolecular Fragment Coupling of N-Acyl Phthalimides and Succinimides.

Efficient strategies for C-N bond formation from readily available amide derivatives remain an important objective in synthetic chemistry. Herein, we report a Pd-catalyzed decarbonylative transformation of N-acyl phthalimides and acyl succinimides that enables the efficient synthesis of (hetero)aryl phthalimides and aryl succinimides with a broad substrate scope and high functional-group tolerance, including substrates bearing electron-donating substituents. Mechanistic studies support an intramolecular unimolecular fragment coupling pathway, and the resulting N-aryl phthalimides serve as versatile intermediates for the synthesis of aniline derivatives and other value-added molecules through late-stage functionalization.