A family of simple amide-derived air-stable P,O-ligands for Suzuki cross-coupling of unactivated aryl chlorides

A family of air-stable amide-derived phosphine (Aphos) ligands engineered on simple N,N-dialkyl aryl amide scaffolds has been designed and prepared by one-pot synthesis from the amides in high yields. The Aphos ligands have been used, in analogous to their atropisomeric variations, as hemilabile bidentate P,O-ligands in various Pd-catalyzed C–N and C–C bond forming reactions. We present here our results on the highly efficient Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of unactivated and/or sterically hindered aryl chlorides with arylboronic acids and a relationship of Aphos structures with catalytic efficacy.