1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane as a new, efficient, and versatile tripod ligand for copper-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of aryl iodides with amides, thiols, and phenols.

1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane was presented as a new, efficient, and versatile tridentate O-donor ligand suitable for the copper-catalyzed formation of C-N, C-S, and C-O bonds. This inexpensive and commercially available tripod ligand has been demonstrated to facilitate the copper-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of aryl iodides with amides, thiols, and phenols to afford the corresponding desired products in good to excellent yields. [reaction: see text].