Synthesis of aryl-substituted naphthalenes by chemoselective Suzuki–Miyaura reactions of bromo-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy-naphthalenes. Influence of steric and electronic parameters

Chemoselective Suzuki–Miyaura reactions of 2-bromo-1-(trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy)naphthalene, 1-bromo-2-(trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy) naphthalene and 2-acetyl-4-bromo-1-(trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy)naphthalene, which are all readily available from the corresponding tetralone derivatives, afforded a variety of mono- and diarylnaphthalenes. The reactions generally proceed with excellent chemoselectivity in favour of the bromide position, no matter whether the bromide is located at position 1 or 2 of the naphthalene or whether the carbon attached to the triflate group is electronically more deficient by the presence of a neighbouring acetyl group.