Nickel(0)-Catalyzed Hydroarylation of Styrenes and 1,3-Dienes with Organoboron Compounds

A Ni-catalyzed hydroarylation of styrenes and 1,3-dienes with organoboron compounds has been developed. The reaction offers a highly selective approach to diarylalkanes and allylarenes under redox-neutral conditions. In this hydroarylation reaction, a new strategy that uses the proton of methanol to generate the active catalyst species Ni-H was developed. The Ni-catalyzed hydroarylation, combined with a Ir-catalyzed C-H borylation, affords a very efficient and straightforward access to a retinoic acid receptor agonist.