Preparation of N‐alkylpyridinium aryl ketone derivatives via the surfactant promoted cross‐coupling reaction of N‐alkylpyridiniumboronic acids with carboxylic anhydride in water at room temperature

The palladium (II) chloride catalyzed coupling reaction of N‐alkylpyridiniumboronic acids with benzoic anhydride was carried out smoothly in water to give high yields of ketones without the use of a phosphine ligand. The reaction was conducted under mild conditions at room temperature. In this article, by focusing on the Suzuki reaction, it is shown how this method can impact modern synthetic chemistry, making reactions faster, easier and cleaner. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.