ortho-C–O arylation of aromatic amides with Grignard reagents through the Meyers reaction

ortho-C–O arylation of arylamides is a step-efficient and straightforward approach for the construction of biphenyl amides, yet achieving it in practice remains a great challenge. Herein, we address this challenge by developing an efficient ortho-C–O arylation of various aryl amides with Grignard reagents through a Meyers-type reaction mechanism, performed in the absence of transition-metal catalysts. This protocol enables the selective synthesis of diverse biphenyl amides, featuring high yields and broad substrate scope.