Palladium-catalyzed direct arylation of thiophenes bearing SO2R substituents.

The palladium-catalyzed direct arylation of SO(2)R-substituted thiophene derivatives was found to proceed regioselectively at C5 and in high yields using a variety of aryl bromides and as low as 0.5-0.1 mol % of phosphine-free Pd(OAc)(2) as the catalyst. For these reactions, sulfonyls, sulfonamides, or even a sulfonic ester as the thiophene substituents were successfully employed.