No abstract

Low-toxicity chromium(II) chloride catalyzes at 25 °C within minutes the coupling reactions of various (hetero)arylmagnesium reagents with N-heterocyclic halides, aromatic halogenated ketones or imines, and alkenyl iodides. Remarkably, much lower amounts of homo-coupling side products are obtained compared to related iron, cobalt, or manganese cross-couplings.

Sulfoxide-alkene hybrids are introduced as a new class of chiral heterodentate ligands for the Hayashi-Miyaura reaction. The synthesis of these ligands was achieved without the use of protecting groups. A chiral resolution was performed via simple column-chromatographic separation of the diastereomeric ligands. Both diastereomers proved to be excellent ligands in Rh-catalyzed 1,4-addition reactions, furnishing chiral products with high enantioselectivities and, remarkably, opposite stereoconfigurations.

A simple, practical iron salt catalyzed procedure allows fast cross-couplings of N-heterocyclic chlorides and bromides with various electron-rich and -poor arylmagnesium reagents. A solvent mixture of THF and tBuOMe is found to be essential for achieving high yields mainly by avoiding homocoupling side reactions.