9-fluorenylphosphines for the Pd-catalyzed Sonogashira, Suzuki, and Buchwald-Hartwig coupling reactions in organic solvents and water

The lithiation/alkylation of fluorene leads to various 9-alkyl-fluorenes (alkyl=Me, Et, iPr, -Pr, -C18H25) in > 95% yields, for which lithiation and reaction with R2PCl (R=Cy, iPr, tBu) generates 9-alkyl, 9-PR2-fluorenes which constitute electron-rich and bulky phosphine ligands. The in-situformed palladium-phosphine complexes ([Na2PdCl4], phosphonium salt, base, substrates) were tested in the Sonogashira, Suzuki, and Buchwald-Hartwig reactions of aryl chlorides and aryl bromides in organic solvents. The Sonogashira coupling of aryl chlorides at 100-120 degrees C leads to > 90% yields with 1 mol % of Pd catalyst. The Suzuki coupling of aryl chlorides typically requires 0.05 mol % of Pd catalyst at 100 degrees C in dioxane for quantitative product formation. To carry out green cross-coupling reactions in water, 9-ethyl fluorenyldicyclohexylphosphine was reacted in sulphuric acid to generate the respective 2-sulfonated phosphonium salt. The Suzuki coupling of activated aryl chlorides by using this water-soluble catalyst requires only 0.01 mol % of Pd catalyst, while a wide range of aryl chlorides can be quantitatively converted into the respective coupling products by using 0.1-0.5 mol % of catalyst in pure water at 100 degrees C. Difficult substrate combinations, such as naphthylboronic acid or 3-pyridylboronic acid and aryl chlorides are coupled at 100 degrees C by using 0.1-0.5 mol % of catalyst in pure water to obtain the respective N-heterocycles in quantitative yields. The copper-free aqueous Sonogashira coupling of aryl bromides generates the respective tolane derivatives in > 95 % yield.