Room-Temperature Palladium-Catalyzed and Copper(l)-Mediated Coupling Reactions of Acid Chlorides with Boronic Acids under Neutral Conditions

The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of acid chlorides with arylboronic acids in the presence of copper(l) thiophene-2-carboxylate (CuTC) as an activator under strictly nonbasic and mild reaction conditions afford the unsymmetrical ketones in moderate to excellent yields. A wide range of substrates bearing an electron-donating or an electron-withdrawing substituent on the aromatic ring is compatible.