Palladium-Catalyzed Hydroxylation of Aryl Halides with Boric Acid

Boric acid, B(OH)3, is proved to be an efficient hydroxide reagent in converting (hetero)aryl halides to the corresponding phenols with a Pd catalyst under mild conditions. Various phenol products were obtained in good to excellent yields. This transformation tolerates a broad range of functional groups and molecules, including base-sensitive substituents and complicated pharmaceutical (hetero)aryl halide molecules.