Palladium-catalyzed regio- and chemoselective ortho-benzylation of C-H bond using a functionalizable primary amide directing group: a concise synthesis of dibenzo[b,e]azepin-6-ones.

A palladium-catalyzed regio- and chemoselective direct benzylation of primary benzamides with 2-bromobenzyl bromides under a mild basic condition has been developed affording various substituted diarylmethanes in good yields. Furthermore, the directing amide group (-CONH2) was subjected to intramolecular N-arylation with the aryl bromide moiety present in diarylmethanes leading to a concise synthesis of dibenzoazepinones.