A highly efficient cross-coupling of diarylborinic acids and anhydrides with aryl chlorides and bromides has been effected by using a palladium catalyst system co-supported by a strong σ-donor N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC), N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl) imidazol-2-ylidene, and a strong π-acceptor phosphite, triphenylphosphite, in tert-BuOH in the present of K(3)PO(4)·3H(2)O. Unsymmetrical biaryls with a variety of functional groups could be obtained in good to excellent yields using as low as 0.01, 0.2-0.5, and 1 mol % palladium loadings for aryl bromides and activated and deactivated aryl chlorides, respectively, under mild conditions. A ligand synergy between the σ-donor NHC and the π-acceptor phosphite in the Pd/NHC/P(OPh)(3) catalytic system has been proposed to be responsible for the high efficacy to arylchlorides in the cross-coupling. A scalable and economical process has therefore been developed for synthesis of Sartan biphenyl from the Pd/NHC/P(OPh)(3) catalyzed cross-coupling of di(4-methylphenyl)borinic acid with 2-chlorobenzonitrile.

A highly efficient nickel/triarylphosphine catalyst system, Ni[P(4-MeOPh) 3 ] 2 Cl 2 /2P(4-MeOPh) 3 , has been developed for crosscoupling of diarylborinic acids with a wide range of aryl chlorides. A variety of unsymmetrical biaryl and heterobiaryl compounds with various functional groups and steric hindrance could be obtained in good to excellent yields using 0.5−2 mol % catalyst loadings in the presence of K 3 PO 4 •3H 2 O in toluene. The high atom economy of diarylborinic acids and cost-effectiveness of the nickel/ phosphine catalyst system make the cross-coupling truly practical in the production of biaryl fine chemicals. Usefulness of the nickel/phosphine catalyzed cross-coupling of diarylborinic acids with aryl chlorides has been demonstrated in the development of a scalable and economical process for synthesis of 4′-methyl-2-cyanobiphenyl, Sartan biphenyl.

Efficient bis(phosphine)nickel-catalyzed cross-couplings of diarylborinic acids with aryl chlorides, tosylates, and sulfamates have been effected with an assistance of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) generated in situ from N,N'-dialkylimidazoliums, e.g., N-butyl-N'-methylimidazolium bromide ([Bmim]Br), in toluene using K3PO4·3H2O as base. In contrast to bis(NHC)nickel-catalyzed conventional Suzuki coupling of arylboronic acids, mono(NHC)bis(phosphine)nickel species generated in situ from Ni(PPh3)2Cl2/[Bmim]Br displayed high catalytic activities in the cross-couplings of diarylborinic acids. The structural influences from diarylborinic acids were found to be rather small, while electronic factors from aryl chlorides, tosylates, and sulfamates affected the couplings remarkably. The couplings of electronically activated aryl chlorides, tosylates, and sulfamates could be efficiently effected with 1.5 mol % NiCl2(PPh3)2/[Bmim]Br as catalyst precursor to give the biaryl products in excellent yields, while 3-5 mol % loadings had to be used for the couplings of non- and deactivated ones. A small ortho-substitutent on the aromatic ring of aryl chlorides, tosylates, and sulfamates was tolerable. Applicability of the nickel-catalyzed cross-couplings in practical synthesis of fine chemicals has been demonstrated in process development for a third-generation topical retinoid, Adapalene.

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An N‐heterocyclic carbene and phosphite synergistically enhanced Pd/C catalyst system has been developed for Suzuki coupling of aryl chlorides and aryl boronic acids from commercially available Pd/C with sterically demanding N,N′‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazolylidene and trimethylphosphite. A remarkable increase in catalytic activity of Pd/C was observed when used along with 1 equiv. N,N′‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazolium chloride and 2 equiv. phosphite with respect to palladium in appropriate solvents that were found to play a crucial role in Pd/C‐NHC‐P(OR)3‐catalyzed Suzuki coupling. A dramatic ortho‐substitution effect of carbonyl and nitrile groups in aryl chlorides was observed and explained by a modified quasi‐heterogeneous catalysis mechanism. The Pd/C catalyst could be easily recovered from reaction mixtures by simple filtration and only low palladium contamination was detected in the biparyl products. A practical process for the synthesis of 4‐biphenylcarbonitrile has therefore been developed using the N‐heterocyclic carbene/phosphite‐assisted Pd/C‐catalyzed Suzuki coupling. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.