A phosphine-free, heterogeneous palladium-catalyzed atom-efficient carbonylative cross-coupling of triorganoindiums with aryl halides leading to unsymmetrical ketones

Abstract

The first phosphine-free heterogeneous palladium-catalyzed carbonylative cross-coupling of aryl halides with triorganoindiums has been developed that proceeds smoothly under 1 or 2.5 atm of carbon monoxide in THF at 68 °C and provides a general and powerful tool for the synthesis of various valuable unsymmetrical ketones with high atom-economy, good yield, and recyclability of the catalyst. Our system not only avoids the use of phosphine ligands, but also solves the basic problem of palladium catalyst recovery and reuse.