Ruthenium(0)-catalyzed hydroarylation of alkynes via ketone-directed C–H functionalization using in situ-generated ruthenium complexes

Abstract

A versatile method for the Ru(0)-catalyzed hydroarylation of alkynes using weakly-coordinating ketones enabled by the in situ generation of a Ru(0) catalyst from an air-stable, inexpensive and user-friendly Ru(II) precatalyst is reported for the first time. The method provides straightforward access to a wide range of functionalized ketone building blocks that would be difficult to access by conventional methods. Most crucially, this report demonstrates for the first time that the in situ generated Ru(0) catalysts advance the classic Ru(0)-catalyzed C–H functionalization platform to substrates that would otherwise be unreactive. Product manipulation and mechanistic studies are reported.