Light‐Promoted C–N Coupling of Aryl Halides with Nitroarenes

Abstract

AbstractA photochemical C–N coupling of aryl halides with nitroarenes is demonstrated for the first time. Catalyzed by a NiII complex in the absence of any external photosensitizer, readily available nitroarenes undergo coupling with a variety of aryl halides, providing a step‐economic extension to the widely used Buchwald–Hartwig C–N coupling reaction. The method tolerates coupling partners with steric‐congestion and functional groups sensitive to bases and nucleophiles. Mechanistic studies suggest that the reaction proceeds via the addition of an aryl radical, generated from a NiI/NiIII cycle, to a nitrosoarene intermediate.