AIBN for Ru-catalyzedmeta-C-Ar-H alkylation

Themeta-C-Ar-H alkylation of arenes with radicals produced from AIBN in the presence of a RuCl(3)catalyst is presented. This development not only confirmed that ruthenium-catalyzedmeta-C-Ar-H bond functionalization is a radical process, but also provided an efficient and practical strategy for the preparation of aromatic compounds containing a nitrile group, which are prevalent in a diverse range of biologically active molecules and other functional materials.