Nickel(ii)-catalyzed direct arylation of aryl C–H bonds with aryl-boron reagents directed by a removable bidentate auxiliary

Abstract

Ni(II)-catalyzed C–H arylation using Ar₂I⁺X⁻ or ArX as the arylating reagent via oxidative addition has been well investigated. However, the analogous cross-coupling of C–H bonds with organoboron reagents via transmetallation remains a great challenge. Here we report the first Ni(II)-catalyzed direct C–H arylation with arylboronic acid esters assisted by a removable bidentate auxiliary. This procedure is scalable and compatible with a wide range of functional groups, providing a complementary protocol for the synthesis of biaryl compounds.