Nickel-Phosphine Complex-Catalyzed Grignard Coupling. I. Cross-Coupling of Alkyl, Aryl, and Alkenyl Grignard Reagents with Aryl and Alkenyl Halides: General Scope and Limitations

Abstract It has been established that dihalodiphosphinenickel(II) complexes exhibit extremely high catalytic activity for selective cross-coupling of Grignard reagents with aryl and alkenyl halides. This catalytic reaction can be employed in synthetic practice for reasons of simple procedures, mild reaction conditions, high yields and high purity of the coupling products, and the wide applicability to reactions involving primary and secondary alkyl (regardless of the presence or absence of β-hydrogen (s)), aryl, and alkenyl Grignard reagents and nonfused, fused, and substituted aromatic halides and haloolefins. Limitations lie in sluggish reactions between alkyl Grignard reagents and dihaloethylenes. The most effective catalysts are [Ni{(C6H5)2P(CH2)3P(C6H5)2}Cl2] for alkyl and simple aryl Grignard reagents, [Ni{(CH3)2P(CH2)2P(CH3)2}Cl2] for alkenyl and allylic Grignard reagents and [Ni{P(C6H5)3}2-Cl2] for sterically hindered aryl Grignard reagents and halides. Great stabilizing effects of phosphine ligands on the catalytic species are demonstrated by no effect observed after aging the catalyst. Organic chlorides are generally the most suitable halide in view of the reasonable reactivities and limited side reactions. Ether is favored over tetrahydrofuran as solvent. About sixty experimental results are presented and several features are discussed.