Unexpected Cascade Dehydrogenation Triggered by Pd/Cu-Catalyzed C(sp 3 )-H Arylation/Intramolecular C-N Coupling of Amides: Facile Access to 1,2-Dihydroquinolines.

In this work, we successfully explored an unexpected dehydrogenation triggered by Pd/Cu-catalyzed C(sp ³ )-H arylation and intramolecular C-N coupling of amides to synthesize the bioactive 1,2-dihydroquinoline scaffold with good regioselectivity and good compatibility of functional groups. This strategy provides an alternative route to realize molecular complexity and diversity from simple and readily available molecules via multiple C-H bond activation. Preliminary mechanistic studies demonstrated that β,γ-dehydrogenation is triggered by the arylation of the C(sp ³ )-H bond and the intramolecular C-N coupling.