Cp*Co(iii)-catalyzed ortho-alkylation/alkenylation of anilides†

A highly practical and efficient Cp*Co(iii)-catalyzed C–H alkylation/alkenylation reaction of anilides with maleimides and acrylates was developed, during which a weakly coordinating amide carbonyl group functioned as the directing group. This approach features high efficiency, good functional group tolerance, and broad substrate scope, and a variety of 3-substituted succinimides and ortho-alkenylated anilides were synthesized in moderate to excellent yields. Furthermore, the reaction is highly selective, affording mono-ortho-alkylated/alkenylated products only. In addition, synthetic transformations of the 3-substituted succinimide products demonstrate the practicability of the reaction.