Light-Promoted Ni-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Aryl Chlorides with Hydrazides: Application to the Synthesis of Rizatriptan

A general and highly efficient photochemical C-N coupling reaction of challenging (hetero)aryl chlorides with hydrazides is reported. Catalyzed by a Ni(II)-bipyridine complex, this reaction provides an efficient tool for the synthesis of arylhydrazines in the presence of a soluble organic amine base without an external photosensitizer. The reaction features a wide substrate range (54 examples) and excellent functional group tolerance. The method has also been successfully applied to the three-step concise synthesis of rizatriptan, an effective drug for migraine and cluster headaches.