Platinum-catalyzed C-H arylation of simple arenes

J Am Chem Soc. 2013 Oct 23;135(42):15710-3. doi: 10.1021/ja408112j. Epub 2013 Oct 15.

Abstract

This report describes the Na2PtCl4 catalyzed C-H arylation of arene substrates with diaryliodonium salts. The site selectivity of these reactions is predominantly controlled by steric factors. Remarkably, Na2PtCl4-catalyzed naphthalene arylation proceeds with opposite site selectivity compared to that obtained with Na2PdCl4 as the catalyst. Preliminary mechanistic studies provide evidence for a Pt(II)/Pt(IV) catalytic cycle involving rate-limiting C-C bond-forming reductive elimination.