Observations on transition metal free biaryl coupling: potassium tert-butoxide alone promotes the reaction without diamine or phenanthroline catalysts.
Biaryl coupling (often labelled 'C-H activation') of aromatic systems can be achieved by potassium tert-butoxide alone in the absence of any amine or bipyridine catalyst (1,10-phenanthroline or N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine being the most common), previously reported to be essential. Various mechanistic studies and observations are presented which suggest that when 1,10-phenanthroline is employed as the catalyst, the alkoxide is destroyed almost immediately.
Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK. j.wilden@ucl.ac.uk.
J
J
Cuthbertson
V J
VJ
Gray
Jonathan D
JD
Wilden
D000440:Butanols / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D003959:Diamines / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010618:Phenanthrolines / Q000737:chemistry*; D028561:Transition Elements / Q000737:chemistry
D000440:Butanols; D003959:Diamines; D010618:Phenanthrolines; D028561:Transition Elements; C077664:tert-butoxide, potassium; C025205:1,10-phenanthroline