Aziridine- and Azetidine-Pd Catalytic Combinations. Synthesis and Evaluation of the Ligand Ring Size Impact on Suzuki-Miyaura Reaction Issues

The synthesis of new vicinal diamines based on aziridine and azetidine cores as well as the comparison of their catalytic activities as ligand in the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction are described in this communication. The synthesis of threeand four-membered ring heterocycles substituted by a methylamine pendant arm is detailed from the parent nitrile derivatives. Complexation to palladium under various conditions has been examined affording vicinal diamines or amine-imidate complexes. The efficiency of four new catalytic systems is compared in the preparation of variously substituted biaryls. Aziridineand azetidine-based catalytic systems allowed Suzuki-Miyaura reactions from aryl halides including chlorides with catalytic loadings until 0.001% at temperatures ranging from 100 ◦C to r.t. The evolution of the Pd-metallacycle ring strain moving from azetidine to aziridine in combination with a methylamine or an imidate pendant arm impacted the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction issue.