Nickel catalysis biaryl formation

Nickel catalysis has also been used in the formation of biaryls, such as (51), by substitution of the methoxy group in 1-methoxynaphthalene by tolylmagnesium bromide. It is also reported that the reaction of aryl or heteroaryl tosylates with phenylmag-nesium bromide to give biaryl derivatives is catalysed by palladium complexed with heteroatom-substituted secondary phosphine oxide ligands. 

Negishi, E., King, A. O., Okukado, N. Selective carbon-carbon bond formation via transition metal catalysis. 3. A highly selective synthesis of unsymmetrical biaryls and diarylmethanes by the nickel- or palladium-catalyzed reaction of aryl- and benzylzinc derivatives with aryl halides. J. Org. Chem. 1977,42, 1821-1823. 

There has been a review of palladium-catalysed carbonylative coupling reactions of aryl halides with carbon nucleophiles in the presence of carbon monoxide. It has been shown that rhodium is an efficient catalyst for the homocoupling reaction of arylzinc compounds in the presence of 1 atm of carbon monoxide to give diaryl ketones. Under similar conditions, palladium and nickel catalysts yield biaryls. The beneficial catalysis by rhodium is likely to derive from the ease of migration of the aryl ligand to carbon monoxide in the rhodium(III) intermediate. A rhodium catalyst has also been used in the formation of indole-3-carboxylates by reaction of indoles with alcohols in the presence of carbon monoxide. The catalytic cycle. Scheme 5, is likely to involve metallation of the indole at the 3-position, followed... 

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