Synlett 2012(1): 101-106  
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1290110
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

Low Catalyst Loadings for Copper-Catalyzed O-Arylation of Phenols with Aryl and Heteroaryl Halides under Mild Conditions

Fui-Fong Yonga, Yong-Chua Teo*a, Yaw-Kai Yana, Guan-Leong Chuab
a Natural Sciences and Science Education, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore 637616, Singapore
b Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637371, Singapore
e-Mail: yongchua.teo@nie.edu.sg;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 26 September 2011
Publication Date:
13 December 2011 (online)

Abstract

A practical and mild strategy has been developed for the cross-coupling of O-arylation of phenol with differently substituted aryl halides and heteroaryl iodides using low catalyst loading of copper iodide under low operating temperature in DMF with TMHD as the ligand and Cs2CO3 as the base. This method tolerates a variety of functional groups including sterically hindered phenols and heteroaryl iodides to afford products in good to excellent yields (up to 95%).

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8

Representative Procedure for O-Arylation of Phenols: A mixture of CuI (Sigma-Aldrich, 99.99% purity, 0.0147 mmol), TMHD (0.147 mmol), Cs2CO3 (2.94 mmol) was dissolved in DMF (0.3 mL). Subsequently, the aryl halide (1.47 mmol) and the phenol (2.21 mmol) were added to the reaction vial and a screw cap was fitted to it. The reaction mixture was stirred under air in a closed system at 60 ˚C for 24 h and the heterogeneous mixture was then cooled to r.t. and diluted with EtOAc. The resulting solution was directly filtered through a pad of Celite. The organic extracts were washed with H2O twice. The combined organic extracts were dried with anhyd Na2SO4 and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure. The crude product was purified by silica gel column chromatography to afford the O-arylated product. The identity and purity of known products were confirmed by ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopic analysis.