Highly Selective Palladium-Catalysed Aminocarbonylation of Aryl Iodides using a Bulky Diphosphine Ligand

An efficient methodology for the synthesis of amides via palladium-catalysed aminocarbonylation of aryl iodides is reported using the bulky cis-1,2-bis[(di-tert-butylphosphino)methyl]cyclohexane ligand under atmospheric pressure of carbon monoxide. Excellent conversions (up to 99%) and chemoselectivities (up to 99%) were obtained for a range of aryl iodides and amine nucleophiles. The effect of the substituents on the substrate and nucleophiles on the catalytic performance was investigated. An NMR study was also carried out and key intermediates of the catalytic cycle were detected and characterised.