The reductive cross coupling of pyridinium salts derived from readily available primary alkyl amines with aryl halides has been achieved under mild reaction conditions using a nickel catalyst.

Various anilides have been directly ortho-acetoxylated through a Pd(OAc)2-catalyzed C-H bond activation process. The amide group in anilides was found to functionalize as an elegant directing group to convert aromatic sp(2) C-H bonds into C-O bonds in high regioselectivity with acetic acid as the acetate source and K(2)S(2)O(8) as the oxidant.

The synthesis of isoindolinones from N-methoxybenzamides and alkenes has been achieved by Pd-catalyzed ortho sp(2) C-H activation and intramolecular oxidative amidation, which involve the cleavage of four bonds and formation of two bonds.

The palladium-catalyzed ortho-alkoxylation of N-methoxybenzamides has been demonstrated. With the CONHOMe group as a directing group, the aromatic C-H bond can be functionalized efficiently to generate ortho-alkoxylated derivatives in moderate to good yields.