Insights into directing group ability in palladium-catalyzed C-H bond functionalization

This paper describes a detailed investigation of factors controlling the dominance of a directing group in Pd-catalyzed ligand-directed arene acetoxylation. Mechanistic studies, involving reaction kinetics, Hammett analysis, kinetic isotope effect experiments, and the kinetic order in oxidant, have been conducted for a series of different substrates. Initial rates studies of substrates bearing different directing groups showed that these transformations are accelerated by the use of electron-withdrawing directing groups. However, in contrast, under conditions where two directing groups are in competition with one another in the same reaction flask, substrates with electron-donating directing groups react preferentially. These results are discussed in the context of the proposed mechanism for Pd-catalyzed arene acetoxylation.