Journal | Organometallics |
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Date | E-pub ahead of print - 8 Nov 2017 |
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Date | Published (current) - 27 Nov 2017 |
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Issue number | 22 |
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Volume | 36 |
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Number of pages | 6 |
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Pages (from-to) | 4376-4381 |
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Early online date | 8/11/17 |
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Original language | English |
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We present a C–H activation protocol for aromatic compounds that overcomes the current limitations of the need for a directing group or covalently bound activating groups, by exploiting the increase in C–H acidity of aromatic compounds on π-coordination to a Ru(II) center. The increased acidity facilitates catalytic concerted metalation–deprotonation and subsequent arylation reactions. We present the development and optimization of the C–H activation protocol and show the applicability of the reaction to a range of aromatic substrates, including the simplest of substrates (benzene). Furthermore, we demonstrate the recyclability of the activating Ru(II) fragment using photolysis and give a mechanistic study, which provides strong evidence that this reaction occurs via a silver-mediated C–H bond activation. This is the first time Ru complexes have been shown to allow C–H activation of arenes by a π-coordination mechanism.