The first general method for the Pd-catalyzed amination of aryl tosylates and benzenesulfonates was developed utilizing ligand 1, which belongs to a new generation of biaryl monophosphine ligands. In addition, the new catalyst system for the first time enables amidation of aryl arenesulfonates and aqueous amination protocols that do not necessitate the use of cosolvents. The substrate scope has been significantly expanded to include aryl halides containing primary amides and free carboxylic acid groups. In the case of multifunctional substrates, the Pd-catalyzed amination can provide selectivity that is complementary to the Cu-catalyzed C-N bond-forming processes.

[reaction: see text] A mild method for the copper-catalyzed amination of aryl iodides is reported. This operationally simple C-N bond-forming protocol uses CuI as the catalyst and ethylene glycol as ligand in 2-propanol. A variety of functionalized aryl iodides as well as several amines were efficiently coupled using this method. This catalytic amination procedure is relatively insensitive to moisture and can be performed under an air atmosphere with comparable yield. Preliminary results on the amination of aryl bromides are also described.

A general method for the N-arylation of indoles using catalysts derived from CuI and trans-1,2-cyclohexanediamine (1a), trans-N,N'-dimethyl-1,2-cyclohexanediamine (2a), or N,N'-dimethyl-ethylenediamine (3) is reported. N-Arylindoles can be produced in high yield from the coupling of an aryl iodide or aryl bromide with a variety of indoles.

[reaction: see text] A general and efficient copper-catalyzed method for the amidation of vinyl bromides and iodides has been developed. This protocol uses a combination of 5 mol % copper iodide and 20 mol % N,N'-dimethyl ethylenediamine. Substrates bearing ester, silyl ether, and amino groups were successfully coupled under the reaction conditions. The double bond geometry of the vinyl halides was retained under the reaction conditions.

An efficient copper-catalyzed domino halogen exchange-cyanation procedure for aryl bromides was developed utilizing 10 mol % CuI, 20 mol % KI, 1.0 equiv of the inexpensive N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine as ligand, and 1.2 equiv of NaCN in toluene at 110 degrees C. The new method represents a significant improvement over the traditional Rosenmund-von Braun reaction: the reaction conditions are much milder, and the use of stoichiometric amounts of copper(I) cyanide and polar solvents is avoided; therefore the isolation and purification of the aromatic nitrile products is greatly simplified. In addition, the new method exhibits excellent functional group compatibility comparable to that of the analogous Pd-catalyzed cyanation methodology.