Palladium-Catalyzed Pyridine Ligand-Promoted Non-Directed C-H Olefination of Phenol Derivatives

Herein, we report an undirected ortho-olefination reaction using tri-isobutyl silicon-protected phenol as the substrate, palladium acetate as the catalyst, and inexpensive pyridine derivatives as ligands. Various phenols were tolerated well, affording the olefinated product in moderate to good yields. Importantly, bioactive compounds such as hexyl-methoxyphenol and estradiol were tolerated, highlighting the synthetic importance of this method.