Catalytic direct arylation with aryl chlorides, bromides, and iodides: intramolecular studies leading to new intermolecular reactions

A catalyst for the intramolecular direct arylation of a broad range of simple and heterocyclic arenes with aryl iodides, bromides, and chlorides has been developed. These reactions occur in excellent yield and are highly selective. Studies with aryl iodides substrates revealed that catalyst poisoning occurs due to the accumulation of iodide in the reaction media. This can be overcome by the addition of silver salts which also permits these reactions to occur at lower temperature. The utility of the methodology is illustrated by a rapid synthesis of a carbazole natural product and by the synthesis of sterically encumbered tetra-ortho-substituted biaryls via ring-opening reactions of the direct arylation products. Mechanistic investigations have provided insight into the catalyst's mode of action and show the presence of a kinetically significant C-H bond cleavage in palladium-catalyzed direct arylation of simple arenes. Knowledge garnered from these studies has led to the development of new intermolecular arylation reactions with previously inaccessible arenes, opening the door for the development of other new direct arylation processes.     

Transition‐Metal‐Catalyzed Direct Arylation of (Hetero)Arenes by C?H Bond Cleavage

The area of transition‐metal‐catalyzed direct arylation through cleavage of C? H bonds has undergone rapid development in recent years, and is becoming an increasingly viable alternative to traditional cross‐coupling reactions with organometallic reagents. In particular, palladium and ruthenium catalysts have been described that enable the direct arylation of (hetero)arenes with challenging coupling partners—including electrophilic aryl chlorides and tosylates as well as simple arenes in cross‐dehydrogenative arylations. Furthermore, less expensive copper, iron, and nickel complexes were recently shown to be effective for economically attractive direct arylations.     

Arylation of unactivated arenes

Transition metal-catalyzed and metal-free direct arylation of unactivated arenes is described. The transition metal-catalyzed direct arylation of unactivated arenes as a state-of-the-art method towards biaryl synthesis is highlighted in this Perspective.     

Palladium-catalyzed direct C-H arylation of unactivated arenes with aryl Halides

An efficient palladium-catalyzed direct C-H arylation of unactivated arenes has been discovered. This method employs aryl halides as the direct coupling partners with arenes without using any external ligands. This catalysis opens a new methodology for the preparation of symmetrical as well as unsymmetrical biaryls in a user-friendly approach.     

Ascorbic Acid as an Initiator for the Direct CH Arylation of (Hetero)arenes with Anilines Nitrosated In Situ

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) has been used as a radical initiator in a metal‐free direct C? H arylation of (hetero)arenes. Starting from an aniline, the corresponding arenediazonium ion is generated in situ and immediately reduced by vitamin C to an aryl radical that undergoes a homolytic aromatic substitution with a (hetero)arene. Notably, neither heating nor irradiation is required. This procedure is mild, operationally simple, and constitutes a greener approach to arylation.     

Developments in Direct C?H Arylation of (Hetero)Arenes under Microwave Irradiation

This minireview describes the progress made in the development of direct C? H arylation approaches through the application of focused microwave irradiation. The synergistic combination of microwave‐assisted techniques with the rapidly evolving domain of C? H arylation has opened new vistas in the efficient synthesis of a diverse array of biologically important (hetero)arenes.     

Ascorbic Acid as an Initiator for the Direct C?H Arylation of (Hetero)arenes with Anilines Nitrosated In Situ

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) has been used as a radical initiator in a metal‐free direct C H arylation of (hetero)arenes. Starting from an aniline, the corresponding arenediazonium ion is generated in situ and immediately reduced by vitamin C to an aryl radical that undergoes a homolytic aromatic substitution with a (hetero)arene. Notably, neither heating nor irradiation is required. This procedure is mild, operationally simple, and constitutes a greener approach to arylation.     

C-H arylation of unactivated arenes with aryl halides catalyzed by cobalt porphyrin

A general procedure for cobalt-catalyzed direct C-H arylation of unactivated arenes has been discovered. This method employs aryl halides as the direct coupling partners with arenes without using any Grignard-type reagents. This catalysis opens a new methodology for the preparation of symmetrical as well as unsymmetrical biaryls in a user-friendly approach.     

Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of polyfluoroarenes with simple arenes

The most efficient method to construct biaryls is the direct dehydrogenative cross-coupling of two different aromatic rings. Such an ideal cross arylation starting from distinct polyfluoroarenes and simple arenes was presented. The selectivity of the cross-coupling was controlled by both of the electronic property of fluoroarenes and steric hindrance of simple arenes. Diisopropyl sulfide was essential to promote the efficacy.     

Mild and efficient palladium-catalyzed intramolecular direct arylation reactions

The influence of ligand, stoichiometric base, and additive has been evaluated in the context of intramolecular direct arylation reactions. Under the optimal conditions, arylation of simple arenes can be performed under very mild conditions, with heating to 50 °C. The role of the pivalic acid additive is rationalized by invoking a concerted palladation-deprotonation pathway where the pivalate is behaving as either an intramolecular base from the palladium metal or through an intermolecular deprotonation in a similar manner as that previously described by Echavarren and Maseras.     

Base- and metal-free C-H direct arylations of naphthalene and other unbiased arenes with diaryliodonium salts

A novel metal-free direct arylation of unbiased arenes with diaryliodonium triflates in a process where the use of solvents and additives is not required has been established.     

Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling Polymerization via C−H Activation for the Synthesis of Conjugated Polymers

Owing to their versatile (opto)electronic properties, conjugated polymers have found application in several organic electronic devices. Cross-coupling reactions such as Stille, Suzuki, Kumada couplings, and direct arylation reactions have proved to be effective for their synthesis. More atom-efficient oxidative direct arylation polymerization has also been reported for making homopolymers. However, growing interest toward donor-acceptor polymers has led to the recent emergence of cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) polymerization to synthesize alternating copolymers without any prefunctionalization of monomers. Metal-catalyzed cross-coupling of two simple arenes via double C−H activation, or of an arene with an alkene via oxidative Heck-type reaction have been used so far for CDC polymerization. In this article, we discuss the development of CDC polymerization protocols along with the relevant small molecule CDC reactions for an improved understanding of these reactions.     

Direct C-H bond arylation of arenes with aryltin reagents catalysed by palladium complexes

Direct C-H bond arylation of simple arenes with aryltin reagents has been successfully catalysed by PdCl2 in the presence of CuCl2. CuCl2 proved to be an activator for a palladium intermediate as well as an oxidant.     

NADH coenzyme model compound as photocatalyst for the direct arylation of (hetero)arenes

9,10-Dihydro-10-methylacridine (AcrH₂), a NADH coenzyme model compound, as an organo-photoredox catalyst is demonstrated for the cross-coupling of aryl diazonium salts with (hetero)arenes. Under mild and operationally simple conditions, this new photocatalytic protocol has been applied to arylation of a wide variety of (hetero)arenes and tolerates various functional groups.     

Direct C-H arylation of (hetero)arenes with aryl iodides via rhodium catalysis

A new method for the catalytic C-H arylation of heteroarenes and arenes that manifests high activity paired with reasonably broad scope was developed. Under the catalytic influence of RhCl(CO){P[OCH(CF3)2]3}2 and Ag2CO3, the direct C-H arylation of heteroarenes/arenes with aryl/heteroaryl iodides took place to afford a range of biaryls in good to excellent yields with high regioselectivity. Thiophenes, furans, pyrroles, indoles, and alkoxybenzenes are applicable in this arylation protocol.     

The site-selectivity and mechanism of Pd-catalyzed C(sp2)–H arylation of simple arenes

Control over site-selectivity is a critical challenge for practical application of catalytic C–H functionalization reactions in organic synthesis. Despite the seminal breakthrough of the Pd-catalyzed C(sp²)–H arylation of simple arenes via a concerted metalation–deprotonation (CMD) pathway in 2006, understanding the site-selectivity of the reaction still remains elusive. Here, we have comprehensively investigated the scope, site-selectivity, and mechanism of the Pd-catalyzed direct C–H arylation reaction of simple arenes. Counterintuitively, electron-rich arenes preferably undergo meta-arylation without the need for a specifically designed directing group, whereas electron-deficient arenes bearing fluoro or cyano groups exhibit high ortho-selectivity and electron-deficient arenes bearing bulky electron-withdrawing groups favor the meta-product. Comprehensive mechanistic investigations through a combination of kinetic measurements and stoichiometric experiments using arylpalladium complexes have revealed that the Pd-based catalytic system works via a cooperative bimetallic mechanism, not the originally proposed monometallic CMD mechanism, regardless of the presence of a strongly coordinating L-type ligand. Notably, the transmetalation step, which is influenced by a potassium cation, is suggested as the selectivity-determining step.

The transmetalation step, not the C–H activation step, is suggested as the selectivity-determining step in Pd-catalyzed C–H arylation of simple arenes.     

Scope of direct arylation of fluorinated aromatics with aryl sulfonates

The scope and limitations of direct arylation of fluorinated aromatics with aryl sulfonates was examined. Pd(OAc)(2), in the presence of MePhos and KOAc in THF, efficiently catalyzed the direct arylation of fluoro aromatics with aryl triflates under ambient conditions. Sterically hindered triflates and heteroaryl triflates gave good to excellent yields of the cross coupled products using a modified catalyst system which involves Pd(OAc)(2)-RuPhos at 100 °C. The direct arylation of electron deficient arenes with aryl mesylates is also established using Pd(OAc)(2)-SPhos as the catalyst in toluene-(t)BuOH at 120 °C.     

Cobalt-catalyzed direct arylation and benzylation by ch/co cleavage with sulfamates, carbamates, and phosphates

Inexpensive cobalt catalysts enable the first direct arylation and benzylation of (hetero)arenes with aryl carbamates, sulfamates, and phosphates with ample scope. The non-radical C?H/C?O arylation reaction even proved viable at ambient temperature.     

Transition-metal-free highly chemo- and regioselective arylation of unactivated arenes with aryl halides over recyclable heterogeneous catalysts

A novel heterogeneous catalysis system using metal-organic frameworks as catalyst demonstrated excellent chemo- and regioselectivity for the direct arylation of unactivated arenes with aryl iodides/bromides without the assistance of any transition metals.     

Synthesis of (pentafluorophenyl)benzenes via Pd-catalyzed C–H arylation of pentafluorobenzene with aryliodine diacetates

A streamlined Pd-catalyzed direct oxidative arylation of the pentafluorobenzene C–H bond with readily available (diacetoxyiodo)arenes has been described. Under the optimized conditions, three (diacetoxyiodo)arene derivatives were found to undergo coupling with pentafluorobenzene to furnish the substituted (pentafluorophenyl)benzenes in moderate to good yields.