Palladium/copper-catalyzed sila-Sonogashira reactions of aryl iodides with alkynylsilanes via a direct C–Si bond activation

The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of aryl iodides with alkynylsilanes in the presence of a substoichiometric amount (50 mol %) of copper(I) chloride as an activator in DMF under strictly non-basic reaction conditions afford the corresponding unsymmetrical diarylethynes 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.