Nickel(II)-catalyzed direct arylation of aryl C-H bonds with aryl-boron reagents directed by a removable bidentate auxiliary

Ni(II)-catalyzed C-H arylation using Ar2I+X- or ArX as the arylating reagent via oxidative addition has been well investigated. However, the analogous cross-coupling of C-H bonds with organoboron reagents via transmetallation remains a great challenge. Here we report the first Ni(II)-catalyzed direct C-H arylation with arylboronic acid esters assisted by a removable bidentate auxiliary. This procedure is scalable and compatible with a wide range of functional groups, providing a complementary protocol for the synthesis of biaryl compounds.