Metal-Free, Acid-Catalyzed <i>ortho</i>-Directed Synthesis of Anthranilic Acid Derivatives Using Carbodiimides

One-pot syntheses of fluorescent o-aminobenzoates, o-aminopyridine carboxylates, and a 2′-amino-[1,1′-biphenyl]-2-carboxylic acid are described. Carbodiimides are used as the source of the 2-amino function which inserts onto an aromatic ring using SNAr reaction conditions. This method proceeds regiospecifically with a range of 2-fluoroaromatic acids or esters bearing further aryl fluorine, trifluoromethyl, and cyano substituents.