Palladium-Catalyzed Difluorocarbene Transfer Synthesis of Diaryl Ketones from Iodoarene and Arylboronic Acid

Herein, we disclose a novel carbonylative Suzuki-Miyaura reaction for the synthesis of diaryl ketones via palladium-catalyzed difluorocarbene transfer. BrCF2CO2Et was employed as a safe and effective carbonyl surrogate. The CO was readily in situ generated from the reaction of H2O with intermediate PdII=CF2. The current protocol offers a pragmatic and efficient approach for the synthesis of a series of diaryl ketones with the yield up to 97%. The broad substrate scope and further synthetic application in drugs and functional compounds represent that this carbonylative reaction is a highly appealing strategy.