Ruthenium-catalyzed coupling of aldimines with arylboronates: new synthetic method for aromatic ketones

Using the chelation strategy, the reaction of aldimines bearing the 3-picolin-2-yl group with various arylboronates in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst furnished the corresponding ketimines in high yields for a short reaction time; the resulting ketimines were readily converted to ketones by hydrolysis.