N-Arylation of Tertiary Amines under Mild Conditions

A transition-metal-free procedure for the N-arylation of tertiary amines to spa quaternary ammonium salts is described. The presented conditions allow for the isolation of trialkylaryl, dialkyldiaryl, and novel triarylalkyl ammonium salts, including N-chiral quaternary ammonium salts. The reaction works at room temperature, open to air with electron rich or -poor benzyne precursors and different tertiary amines, allowing the synthesis of a broad range of N-aryl ammonium salts that have applications in a variety of fields.