Visible light activation of Boronic Esters enables efficient photoredox C(sp2)–C(sp3) cross-couplings in flow

Added on:
20 Oct, 2016

We report herein a new method for the photoredox activation of boronic esters. Using these reagents, an efficient and high-throughput continuous flow process was developed to perform a dual iridium- and nickel-catalyzed C(sp2)–C(sp3) coupling by circumventing solubility issues associated with potassium trifluoroborate salts. Formation of an adduct with a pyridine-derived Lewis base was found to be essential for the photoredox activation of the boronic esters. Based on these results we were able to develop a further simplified visible light mediated C(sp2)–C(sp3) coupling method using boronic esters and cyano heteroarenes under flow conditions.

  • Fabio Limaa
  • Dr. Mikhail A. Kabeshova
  • Dr. Duc N. Trana
  • Dr. Claudio Battilocchioa
  • Dr. Joerg Sedelmeierb
  • Dr. Gottfried Sedelmeierb
  • Dr. Berthold Schenkelb
  • S. V. Ley*a
  • * Corresponding author
  • a Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
  • b Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
Read the publication that featured this abstract