Palladium-catalyzed ortho-arylation of O-phenylcarbamates with simple arenes and sodium persulfate.

By palladium catalysis, the C-H bond functionalization of O-phenylcarbamates with simple arenes has been achieved using sodium persulfate (Na(2)S(2)O(8)), an inexpensive, easy-to-handle, and environmentally friendly oxidant. This oxidative cross-coupling involves two aromatic C-H bonds undergoing concomitant oxidation to furnish a new biaryl C-C linkage. Excellent reaction efficiencies and regioselectivities were observed with a range of electron-rich, electron-neutral, and electron-deficient arenes; minimal homocoupling of either component was observed. When two reactive C-H bonds are present on the O-phenylcarbamate, selective diarylation can be achieved via quadruple C-H bond functionalization. This work represents a rare example of using O-carbamates as directing groups for catalytic C-H bond activation. Additionally, a palladacycle obtained from an O-phenylcarbamate was prepared and fully characterized. This trifluoroacetate-bridged bimetallic Pd complex exhibits clean conversion to the ortho-arylation product upon treatment with simple arenes. The addition of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) was found to be critical for successful cyclopalladation of O-phenylcarbamates. We propose this oxidative arene cross-coupling occurs via two discrete C-H bond activations, namely cyclopalladation and electrophilic metalation, within a Pd(0/II) catalytic cycle.