Aryl Ether Syntheses via Aromatic Substitution Proceeding under Mild Conditions

In this study, mild conditions for aromatic substitutions during the syntheses of aryl ethers were developed. In the reaction conditions, the choices of solvent, base, and the sequence for the addition of the reagents proved important. A wide variety of alcohols were used directly as nucleophiles and smoothly reacted with aryl chlorides that possessed either a nitro or a cyano group at either the ortho- or para-position. Controlled experiments we performed suggested that the reaction underwent a charge-transfer process mediated by a combination of DMF and tert-BuOK.