Nickel- and Palladium-Catalyzed Coupling of Aryl Fluorosulfonates with Aryl Boronic Acids Enabled by Sulfuryl Fluoride

Herein are reported examples of the nickel- and palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl fluorosulfonates and aryl boronic acids. These reactions occur in good to excellent yields under mild conditions with excellent functional group compatibility employing either Pd­(OAc)₂ and inexpensive PPh₃ or the inexpensive and readily available NiCl₂(PCy₃)₂. Importantly, the in situ conversion of phenol derivatives to the corresponding aryl fluorosulfonate by reaction with sulfuryl fluoride and a base and subsequent cross-coupling to form biaryls in a single pot are described. The combination of inexpensive sulfuryl fluoride and efficient catalysts reported in these methodologies will enable economical Suzuki coupling of phenols in pharmaceutical and agrochemical processes