Nickel-catalyzed amination of aryl phosphates through cleaving aryl C-O bonds.

The amination of triaryl phosphates was achieved using a Ni(II)-(σ-Aryl) complex/NHC catalyst system in dioxane at 110 °C in the presence of NaH as base. Electron-neutral, -rich, and -deficient triaryl phosphates were coupled with a wider range of amine partners including cyclic and acyclic secondary amines, aliphatic primary amines, and anilines in good to excellent yields.