Abstract
Transition-metal-catalyzed remote sp2C-H functionalization of aryl sulfonic acids was hardly ever real-ized owing to competitive ortho-C-H functionalization of aryl sulfonates and electron-deficient nature of phenyl ring.Herein,with the assistance of a practical biaryl indolyl directing template,palladium-catalyzed remote sp2C-H alkylation of aryl sulfonic acids have been achieved in moderate to good yields with exclusive meta selectivity.Moreover,remote meta-selective C-H alkynylation of aryl sulfonic acids was also accomplished with a rhodium catalyst.These meta-C-H functionalized products proved to be the superior synthetic precursors,which are difficult to access using the conventional strategy.