Metal-Free Regioselective Oxidative Biaryl Coupling Leading to Head-to-Tail Bithiophenes: Reactivity Switching, a Concept Based on the Iodonium(III) Intermediate

A new synthetic concept for obtaining unsymmetrical biaryl coupling products by an oxidative method is reported. Our synthetic strategy casts light on the reaction intermediate for switching the reactivity of 3-substituted thiophenes. On the basis of this strategy, a novel direct method for the synthesis of head-to-tail bithiophenes using hypervalent iodine(III) reagents has been developed.