Tunable carbon-carbon and carbon-sulfur cross-coupling of boronic acids with 3,4-dihydropyrimidine-2-thiones.

Direct microwave-assisted Pd(0)-catalyzed/Cu(I)-mediated carbon-carbon cross-coupling of 3,4-dihydropyrimidine-2-thiones and boronic acids under Liebeskind-Srogl conditions leads to 2-aryl-1,4-dihydropyrimidines in moderate to high yield. In contrast, Cu(II)-mediated reaction of the same substrates leads to carbon-sulfur cross-coupling. [reaction: see text]