From Academia to the Market – Air-stable Ni(II)/Josiphos Catalysts

Abstract

The design, synthesis, commercialization and application of air-stable Ni(II)/Josiphos complexes has been realized in a collaboration between Solvias and ICBMS (University Lyon 1). The Ni-complexes are utilized as versatile precatalysts for diverse cross-coupling reactions. Apart from being active in established C–C and C–N couplings at low catalyst loadings, the novel Ni-precatalysts enabled the development of the challenging monoarylation of ammonia, ammonia surrogates and even alkylammonium chlorides with aryl carbamates. Finally, the α-arylation of acetone with aryl chlorides, carbamates and pivalates was demonstrated using the Ni(II)/Josiphos precatalysts.