Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling Reactions of Highly Fluorinated Arylboronic Esters: Catalytic Studies and Stoichiometric Model Reactions on the Transmetallation Step.

Fluorinated 4-aryl phenylalanine amino acid derivatives (aryl=2-C5 NF4 , 4-C6 H4 SF5 , 2-C6 H4 SCF3 , C6 F5 ) were obtained in Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of phenylalanine precursors with highly fluorinated aryl boronic acid and esters in the presence of CsF. PdII complexes that possessed phenyl alanine derived ligands, such as trans-[PdBr{4-C6 H4 CH2 CH{NHC(O)CH3 }CO2 Et}(PiPr3 )2 ], were used as catalysts. Stoichiometric model reactions indicate the intermediate generation of the boronate Cs[BF(2-C5 NF4 )(pin)] (pin=pinacolato=O2 C2 Me4 ). The transmetallation step with Cs[BF(4-C6 H4 SF5 )(pin)], [NMe4 ][BF(2-C5 NF4 )(pin)] and/or the fluorido complex trans-[PdF{4-C6 H4 CH2 C{NHC(O)CH3 }(CO2 Et)2 }(PiPr3 )2 ] was investigated. A comparison of the reactions of trans-[PdX{4-C6 H4 CH2 C{NHC(O)CH3 }(CO2 Et)2 }(PiPr3 )2 ] (X=Br, F) with 2-Bpin-C5 NF4 or [NMe4 ][BF(2-C5 NF4 )(pin)] revealed the remarkable high reactivity of the fluorido complex towards 2-BpinC5 NF4 . Low-temperature NMR studies indicated the ionic species trans-[Pd{4-C6 H4 CH2 C{NHC(O)CH3 }(CO2 Et)2 }(PiPr3 )2 ][BF(2-C5 NF4 )(pin)] to be a highly reactive intermediate.