Thorpe–Ingold Effect in Branch‐Selective Alkylation of Unactivated Aryl Fluorides

Presented herein is a general protocol for the alkylation of simple aryl fluorides with unbiased secondary Grignard reagents by means of nickel catalysis. This study revealed a general Thorpe–Ingold effect in the ligand backbone which confers a high degree of selectivity for the secondary carbon center in the C?C coupling event. This protocol is characterized by mild reaction conditions, robustness, and simplicity. Both electron‐rich and electron‐deficient aryl fluorides are suitable candidates in this transformation. Equally amenable are a variety of heterocycles, permitting the coupling without over alkylation at the electrophilic sites.