Micelle-Enabled Pd-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Arylthianthrenium Salts in Aqueous Media

Abstract

A green approach for palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of arylthianthrenium salts with aryl/heteroary boronic acids and terminal alkynes under micellar conditions has been developed. Biodegradable, abundant, and naturally available saponin is utilized as a surfactant that served as a micellar-catalysis system, effectively promoting a C-C cross-coupling reaction in water at room temperature. The organic solvent-free saponin-mediated micellar-catalysis system promoted Suzuki-Miyaura and Sonogashira cross-coupling of an array of challenging heteroarene substrates.Other key features of this method include good functional group tolerance, amenability to scaleup, and recyclability of the reaction medium.