Poly(ethylene glycol)- and glucopyranoside-substituted N-heterocyclic carbene precursors for the synthesis of arylfluorene derivatives using efficient palladium-catalyzed aqueous Suzuki reaction
This paper reports an environmentally friendly and highly efficient synthesis of organic semiconductor materials via a Pd/N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed Suzuki reaction in aqueous ethanol with high isolated yields (86–98%). Firstly, four glucopyranoside-substituted NHC precursors with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains were synthesized and characterized. The NHC precursor with the longest PEG chain (n = 16) was found to be the most efficient ligand in the reactions of a wide range of aryl halides and arylboronic acids. The best catalyst system obtained in this work could be recycled five times without significant loss of catalytic activity.l Copyright