Computational mechanistic analysis of a cationic Suzuki–Miyaura reaction without added base

Abstract

Novel density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used with regard to the mechanism of a base-free Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction with phosphine ligands that was suggested to proceed through a cationic intermediate. Our results are able to account for the experimental results (Chen et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2017, 139, 12418–12421) regarding base-free reactions of the same kind. Our calculations, which address the transmetalation and reductive elimination steps, also show that the reaction should go through a mechanism where the arylboronic acid moiety is recycled.