Direct C–H bond arylation of 2-hydroxybenzaldehydes with arylboronic acids via ligand-free palladium catalysis

A mild and efficient ligand-free palladium-catalyzed direct C–H bond arylation reaction was developed to afford 2-hydroxybenzophenones in good to excellent yields from easily available 2-hydroxybenzaldehydes and arylboronic acids. The given reaction provided one of the easiest pathways for accessing 2-hydroxybenzophenones, and a variety of functional groups could be tolerated in this process.