Nickel-catalysed reactions arenes

There has been a wide-ranging review of transmetalation reactions of arenes concentrating on the use of boron-containing compounds. The reaction of arylboronate esters and related compounds with alkyl halides is catalysed by copper(I) formation of an aryl—copper intermediate followed by an 5N2-type reaction with the alkyl electrophile is likely. Palladium complexed with a diimine is an excellent catalyst in the phenylation reaction of Michael acceptors with phenylboronic acid so as to yield products such as (16). The nickel-catalysed reaction of phenylboronic acid with styryl epoxides has been shown to yield a-substituted alcohols such as (17). 

In connection with nickel-catalysed reductive coupling reactions of dihaloarenes, leading to poly(arylene)s, the copper-catalysed reductive carbenoid coupling reactions involving substituted bis(dichloromethyl)arenes and metals or other reductants should be mentioned. The reductive carbenoid coupling of bis(phenyldichloromethyl)arene with zinc in the presence of Cu-based catalysts is shown below ... 

Apart from their behaviour as ligands in metal catalyst systems, studies of the reactivity of phosphites towards a wide variety of other substrates have attracted attention. New aspects and applications of the classical Michaelis-Arbuzov reaction and its variants continue to appear. Evidence of the thermal disproportionation of methyltriaryloxyphosphonium halides formed in the reactions of triarylphosphites with alkyl halides, together with the formation of P-O-P intermediates, has been reported. The Michaelis-Arbuzov reaction has been used in the synthesis of phosphonate-based styrene-divinylbenzene resins and polyphosphonated chelation therapy ligands.Treatment of electron-rich benzylic alcohols dissolved in triethylphosphite with one equivalent of iodine affords a low-temperature one-pot route to the related benzylic phosphonates, compounds which are otherwise difficult to prepare. Upper-rim chloromethylated thiacalix[4]arenes have also been shown to undergo phosphonation on treatment with a phosphite ester in chloroform at room temperature. The nickel(II)-catalysed reaction of aryl halides with phosphite esters in high boiling solvents, e.g., diphenyl ether, (the Tavs reaction), has also... 

Contrarily, the nickel-catalysed SM reactions are always carried out in dry solvents. Since the arylnickel complexes have more ionic character than the corresponding arylpalladiums, the former are generally more reactive and sensitive to water (and other protic compounds) and furnish the protonated (reductive dehalogenation) arene from the parent aryl halide. However, the most common base in the nickel-catalysed SM reactions is K3P04 nH20. The fact, that a small amount of dehalogenation products was isolated, supports the arylnickel protonation side-reaction, either with water (from solvent(s) or K3P04 H20) or any other protic source. 

Heterocycles from Double-Functionalized Arenes Transition Metal Catalyzed Coupling Reactions 25 Asymmetric Functionalization of C-H Bonds 26 Enantioselective Nickel-Catalysed Transformations... 

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