2,2’-Dipyridylamine: A tripod ligand enabling practical access to diaryl ethers via Cu-catalyzed coupling reaction

Abstract

2,2’-dipyridylamine (DPA) is hereby firstly reported as a novel and efficient tridentate ligand for promoting copper(I)-catalyzed C-O/S coupling reactions of abundant aryl bromines with related phenols or thiophenols. The key to this very discovery is the identification of an N-donor tripod ligand (DPA), and such a reaction allows the conversion of simple starting materials to complex diaryl ethers or diaryl thioethers, which are important synthetic intermediates in the preparation of bioactive molecules.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Diaryl ethers
• copper catalyst
• 2,2’-dipyridylamine
• tripod ligand
• diaryl thioethers

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by the Liaoning Revitalization Talents Program [XLYC1908031, China], Major Basic Research Project of Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province [ZR2018ZC1056, China], Taishan Industry Leading Talents Project [No: 2018TSCYCX-17].