Aminations of Aryl Bromides in Water at Room Temperature.

Unsymmetrical di- and triarylamines can be formed under green chemistry conditions, taking advantage of micellar catalysis leading to palladium-catalyzed aminations at ambient temperatures in water as the only medium.

Sonogashira couplings of aryl bromides: room temperature, water only, no copper.

Cross-coupling reactions between lipophilic terminal alkynes and aryl bromides can be catalyzed by ligated Pd, in the absence of copper, in pure water at ambient temperatures. Small amounts of the nonionic amphiphile PTS assist by virtue of nanometer micelles formed spontaneously in an aqueous medium.

Simplification of the Mitsunobu reaction. Di-p-chlorobenzyl azodicarboxylate: a new azodicarboxylate.

Di-p-chlorobenzyl azodicarboxylate (DCAD) is introduced as a novel, stable, solid alternative to DEAD and DIAD for a variety of Mitsunobu couplings. DCAD/Ph(3)P-mediated reactions in CH(2)Cl(2) generate a readily separable hydrazine byproduct. [reaction: see text]

New conjunctive reagents as cross-coupling partners en route to retinoid-like polyenes.

[structure: see text] New conjunctive reagents E-2 and Z-3 can be used, after transmetalation, in Negishi couplings with vinyl and aryl iodides. The subsequently unmasked terminal alkynes can be further manipulated to arrive at retinoid-like products.