Palladium-catalyzed and copper-mediated cross-coupling reaction of aryl- or alkenylboronic acids with acid chlorides under neutral conditions: efficient synthetic methods for diaryl ketones and chalcones at room temperature

Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of aryl- or alkenylboronic acids with acid chlorides in the presence of copper(I) thiophene-2-carboxylate (CuTC) as an activator in diethyl ether at room temperature under strictly non-basic conditions affords the diaryl ketones or chalcones in moderate to excellent yields. A wide range of substrates bearing an electron-donating or an electron-withdrawing substituent on the aromatic ring are compatible.