cis-Diphosphine ethene ligands enable Ni-catalyzed amination of aryl chlorides

Abstract

A class of cis-diphosphine ethene ligands has been designed for the Ni-catalyzed C–N coupling reaction of aryl chlorides. Rigid structure, large steric hindrance and easily adjustable electronic effects are the keys to the success of this ligand. With the powerful catalytic capability of this Ni pre-catalyst, various alkyl primary and cyclic secondary amines can be coupled to low-activity aryl chlorides under mild conditions. The catalytic system also exhibits good tolerance to a wide range of heterocycles. In addition, this air-stable and easy-to-handle Ni complex has demonstrated the application potential in the synthesis of pharmaceutical molecules. This work may help to provide new directions for the design and screening of ligands in the Ni-catalyzed transformation of aryl chlorides.