Palladium/Norbornene Cooperatively Catalyzed Modular Trifunctionalization of 2-Bromoaryl Ketone via a Decarbonylation Process

Palladium/norbornene cooperatively catalyzed Catellani-type reactions were normally limited to aryl iodides as substrates. The employment of aryl bromides has remained challenging. Herein a Pd/NBE cooperatively catalyzed Catellani-type reaction of 2-bromoaryl ketone is described. The 2-bromoaryl ketone was employed as both substrates and arylation reagents with a Heck acceptor. A decarbonylation process of the ketones also occurred in the reaction, finishing the modular ispo-Heck/ortho,ortho-diarylation in one pot. It provided the functionalized m-triphenyl derivatives with three new C-C bonds in moderate to excellent yields which exhibited good regioselectivities and functional group tolerance.