Various terphenyl and quaterphenyl derivatives were prepared by the Ni-NHC catalyzed cross coupling of the corresponding biphenyl-and terphenyl-sulfonates with arylmagnesium bromides. The reactions proceeded rapidly via a nucleophilic aromatic substitution of the alkoxysulfonyl moieties by the aryl nucleophiles to afford high yields within just 1.5 h at room temperature in spite of the low reactivity of the sulfur electrophiles.

Nickel-catalyzed reactions between polymer-bound arenesulfonates and aryl Grignard reagents produce unfunctionalized biphenyls and terphenyls in good yields through reductive cleavage/cross-coupling of the C-S bond. This novel traceless multifunctional cleavage strategy appears to be a

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