Cine substitution of arenes using the aryl carbamate as a removable directing group

An efficient and controlled means to achieve a rare cine substitution of arenes is reported. The methodology relies on the strategic use of aryl O-carbamates as readily removable directing groups for arene functionalization. The removal of aryl carbamates is achieved by employing an air-stable Ni(II) precatalyst, along with an inexpensive reducing agent, to give synthetically useful yields across a range of substrates. The net cine substitution process offers a new strategy for analogue synthesis, which complements the well-established logic for achieving arene functionalization by ipso substitution.