As mentioned above, access to structures of the type described herein has historically been extremely challenging. To be sure, prior routes require multiple steps often beleaguered with numerous concession steps, cryogenic temperatures, and pyrophoric reagents. Figure illustrates four examples of this challenge by drawing directly from the medicinal chemistry patent literature where quaternary-linked pyridine scaffolds were synthesized. Thus, HPK1-inhibitor intermediate 53 was prepared in an 8 step process (ca. 2% overall yield, 4 column purifications) wherein the piperidine ring system was annulated onto a pendent acyl group. In contrast, decarboxylative arylation on RAE 54 followed by Pd-catalyzed amidation led to the same product in 2 steps (29 % overall yield). Kinase inhibitor intermediates 55 and 56 were previously prepared in 4 steps (30.7 and 7.5% yield, respectively with 3-4 column purifications). The same structures could be accessed in a single-step using readily available building blocks in 66% and 38% isolated yields, respectively. Finally, an intermediate of use in antiviral research (57) was previously accessed in a 4-step process (10.4% overall yield, 4 column purifications) that could now be accessed easily in a single step (73% isolated yield) from 54 and 58. While the aforementioned route comparisons demonstrate how the decarboxylative arylation protocol can be used to dramatically simplify access to such structures, the ability to rapidly explore SAR beyond simple methyl substitution at the quaternary center should find broad utility.