Synthesis of (Hetero)biaryls via Nickel Catalyzed Reductive Cross‐Electrophile Coupling Between (Hetero)aryl Iodides and Bromides

Abstract

(Hetero)biaryls are fundamental building blocks in the pharmaceutical industry and rapid access to these scaffolds is imperative for the success of numerous medicinal chemistry campaigns. Herein, a highly general, mild, and chemoselective reductive cross‐electrophile coupling between (hetero)aryl iodides and heteroaryl bromides is reported. By employing more reactive (hetero)aryl halides, a broad range of successful substrates (45 examples) were identified. The reaction was also found to be chemoselective for C(sp2)–C(sp2) bond formation between (hetero)aryl iodides and bromides over (hetero)aryl chlorides, which were generally inert under the described reaction conditions. The efficiency of the procedure is also further demonstrated in parallel synthesis library format, on gram scale, as well as in the formal synthesis of Ruxolitinib, a potent JAK inhibitor. As such, we anticipate this method will find widespread utility in the assembly of (hetero)biaryls for medicinal chemistry efforts.