Ni-Catalyzed Dimerization and Arylation of Diarylacetylenes with Arylboronic Acids.

A new, facile, and efficient protocol for the synthesis of polysubstituted conjugated 1,3-dienes through Ni-catalyzed tandem dimerization/cross-coupling reaction of diarylacetylenes and arylboronic acids in the presence of a catalytic amount of B2pin2 has been developed. A series of arynes and arylboronic acids with different substituents participated well in this catalytic system, affording a variety of useful conjugated 1,3-dienes.