Room-Temperature Negishi Cross-Coupling of Unactivated Alkyl Bromides with Alkyl Organozinc Reagents Utilizing a Pd/<i>N</i>-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalyst
作者:Niloufar Hadei、Eric Assen B. Kantchev、Christopher J. O'Brien、Michael G. Organ
DOI:10.1021/jo051304c
日期:2005.10.1
A high-yielding cross-coupling reaction of unactivated alkyl bromides possessing beta-hydrogens with alkylzinc halides utilizing a Pd/N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyst at room temperature is described. A variety of Pd sources, Pd-2(dba)(3), Pd(OAc)(2), or PdBr2, with the commercially available ligand precursor 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolium chloride (IPr center dot HCl) successfully coupled 1-bromo-3-phenylpropane with n-butylzinc bromide in THF/NMP. An investigation of different NHC precursors showed that the bulky 2,6-diisopropylphenyl moiety was necessary to achieve high coupling yields (75-85%). The corresponding ethyl analogue was moderately active (11%). A range of unsymmetrical NHC precursors were prepared and evaluated. The ligand precursor containing one 2,6-diisopropylphenyl and one 2,6-diethylphenyl afforded the coupling product in 47% yield, clearly suggesting a direct relationship between the steric topography created by the flanking N-substituents and catalyst activity. Under optimal conditions, a number of alkyl bromides and alkylzinc halides possessing common functional groups (amide, nitrile, ester, acetal, and alkyne) were effectively coupled (61-92%). It is noteworthy that beta-substituted alkyl bromides and alkylzinc halides successfully underwent cross-coupling. Also, under these conditions alkyl chlorides were unaffected.