Meta-selective arene C–H bond olefination of arylacetic acid using a nitrile-based directing group

A nitrile-based template attached with a phenylacetic acid framework promoted meta-selective C–H bond olefination. This palladium-catalyzed protocol is applicable to a wide range of substituted phenylacetic acids and tolerates a variety of functional groups. The versatility of this operationally simple method has been demonstrated through drug diversification