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Abstract Palladium‐catalyzed Suzuki‐Miyaura (SM) coupling is widely utilized in the construction of carbon‐carbon bonds. In this study, nanoelectrospray ionization mass spectrometry (nanoESI‐MS) is applied to simultaneously monitor precatalysts, catalytic intermediates, reagents, and products of the SM cross‐coupling reaction of 3‐Br‐5‐Ph‐pyridine and phenylboronic acid. A set of Pd cluster ions related to the monoligated Pd (0) active catalyst is detected, and its deconvoluted isotopic distribution reveals contributions from two neutral molecules. One is assigned to the generally accepted Pd(0) active catalyst, seen in MS as the protonated molecule, while the other is tentatively assigned to an oxidized catalyst which was found to increase as the reaction proceeds. Oxidative stress testing of a synthetic model catalyst 1,5‐cyclooctadiene Pd XPhos (COD−Pd‐XPhos) performed using FeCl3supported this assignment. The formation and conversion of the oxidative addition intermediate during the catalytic cycle was monitored to provide information on the progress of the transmetalation step.
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This content will become publicly available on July 22, 2026
General Base‐Free Suzuki‐Miyaura Cross‐Coupling Reaction via Electrophilic Substitution Transmetalation
Abstract The transition‐metal‐catalyzed Suzuki‐Miyaura cross‐coupling (SMC) reaction of organoboron nucleophiles with aryl (pseudo)halide electrophiles is a reliable method for carbon‐carbon bond formation. This reaction generally requires the use of an exogenous base to promote transmetalation process, which limits the substrate scope of the reaction due to undesired protodeboronation and functional group incompatibilities. Here, we established a base‐free SMC reaction via a conceptually different electrophilic substitution transmetalation (EST). This transformation is applicable to a wide range of base‐sensitive and sterically hindered organoborons. Key to this advance is the formation of a stable cationic palladium(II) or nickel(II) intermediate via experimental and theoretical investigations. In a broader context, this research further expands the synthetic boundary of cross‐coupling chemistry.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2153972
- PAR ID:
- 10629456
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley VHC
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- ISSN:
- 1433-7851
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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