Synthesis of 6-aminophenanthridines via palladium-catalyzed insertion of isocyanides into N-sulfonyl-2-aminobiaryls

A robust route to a diverse set of 6-aminophenanthridines via palladium-catalyzed C–H activation of N-sulfonyl-2-aminobiaryl and isocyanide insertion is reported. This transformation could also provide an important approach for building core frameworks of conjugated organic polymer materials.