Supported copper precatalysts for ligand-free, palladium-free Sonogashira coupling reactions

Copper(II) oxide and Cu metal, highly dispersed on inert oxides (silica, alumina), have been employed as precatalysts in ligand-free, palladium-free Sonogashira coupling reactions. Best results were obtained with highly dispersed Cu metal on alumina, which exhibited high reactivity with aryl iodides. Electron-rich alkynes, in particular arylacetylenes, act as the most effective alkyne substrates. The present catalytic system appears attractive in view of its ease of application and low cost, due to the use of a readily available non-noble metal catalyst combined with the absence of ligands.