Suzuki Coupling of Amides via Palladium-Catalyzed C-N Cleavage of N-Acylsaccharins

A palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of activated amides with arylboronic acids has been developed via C-N bond cleavage. This approach demonstrated high tolerance to a variety of alkyl, aryl, heterocyclic and vinyl substituents. Unsymmetrical ketones could be achieved in excellent yield under mild conditions with 1% catalyst loadings.