Aqueous Suzuki couplings mediated by a hydrophobic catalyst

The catalytic activity of [(Ph2P-o-C6H4)(2)N]PdCl in aerobic aqueous Suzuki couplings is described. Though hydrophobic, this molecular catalyst is competent in cross-coupling reactions of arylboronic acids with a variety of electronically activated, unactivated, and deactivated aryl iodides, bromides, and chlorides upon heating in aqueous solutions under aerobic conditions to give biphenyl derivatives without the necessity of amphiphiles even in the presence of an excess amount of mercury.

Automated summary

The catalytic activity of [(Ph2P-o-C6H4)(2)N]PdCl in aerobic aqueous Suzuki couplings is described. The molecular catalyst can efficiently cross-couple arylboronic acids with various electronically activated, unactivated, and deactivated aryl iodides, bromides, and chlorides in aqueous solutions under aerobic conditions, yielding biphenyl derivatives without the need for amphiphiles, even in the presence of an excess of mercury.