Neopentylphosphines as effective ligands in palladium-catalyzed cross-couplings of aryl bromides and chlorides

The use of neopentylphosphine ligands in the palladium-catalyzed Suzuki, Sonogashira, Heck, and Hartwig-Buchwald couplings of aryl bromides and chlorides are reported. Di-tert-butylneopentylphosphine (DTBNpP) provided highly active catalysts for the coupling of aryl bromides at mild temperatures. Trineopentylphosphine, an air-stable trialkylphosphine, gave inactive catalysts at room temperature, but showed good activity in the H-B amination of aryl chlorides at elevated temperatures.