An efficient protocol for the C(sp2)–H carbonylation of amino acid derivatives has been reported

Continuing studies of cobalt-catalyzed C(sp²)–H carbonylation reactions Liene Grigorjeva et al. (Organic Synthesis Methodology group) have reported an efficient protocol for the synthesis of  1,2-dihydroisoquinolinone derivatives based on an inexpensive cobalt(II) salt catalyst. This method is published in the high-impact ACS journal Organic Letters (IF=6.555).

In this approach carbonylation of amino acids was accomplished using picolinamide as a traceless directing group, CO (1 atm) as the carbonyl source, and Co(dpm)₂ as the catalyst. The authors demonstrated that a broad range of phenylalanine derivatives bearing diverse functional groups were tolerated. The method can be successfully applied for the C(sp²)–H carbonylation of short peptides as well.