Using 8-aminoquinoline-based aryl carboxamides, the direct ortho-alkylation can be achieved in high yields in the presence of an iron source, 1,2-bis(diphenyl-phosphino)ethane (dppe) and phenylmagnesium bromide. The reactions proceed without overalkylation and provide high levels of regioselectivity. The benzylation reactions can be performed in air with reagent-grade THF, while the alkylation works well with unactivated secondary bromides and iodides in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran. Moreover, the reactions only require 5-10 min.