Inorganic chemistry, a coupling reaction is a type of reaction in which two reactant molecules are bonded together. Such reactions often require the aid of a metal catalyst. In one important reaction type, a main group organometallic compound of the type R-M (where R = organic group, M = main group centre metal atom) reacts with an organic halide of the type R'-X with formation of a new carbon-carbon bond in the product R-R'. The most common type of coupling reaction is the cross coupling reaction.[1][2][3]
Richard F. Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi, and Akira Suzuki were awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing palladium-catalyzed cross coupling reactions.[4][5]
Broadly speaking, two types of coupling reactions are recognized:
Coupling reactions are illustrated by the Ullmann reaction:
| Reaction | Year | Organic compound | Coupler | Remark | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wurtz reaction | 1855 | R-X | sp3 | Na as reductant | dry ether as medium |
| Pinacol coupling reaction | 1859 | R-HC=O or R2(C=O) | various metals | requires proton donor | |
| Glaser coupling | 1869 | RC≡CH | sp | Cu | O2 as H-acceptor |
| Ullmann reaction | 1901 | Ar-X | sp2 | Cu | high temperatures |
| Fittig reaction | Ar-X | sp2 | Na | dry ether as medium | |
| Scholl reaction | 1910 | ArH | sp2 | NaAlCl4(l) | O2 as H-acceptor; presumably trace Fe3+ catalyst; requires high heat |
| Reaction | Year | Reactant A | Reactant B | Catalyst | Remark | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grignard reaction | 1900 | R-MgBr | sp, sp2, sp3 | R-HC=O or R(C=O)R2 | sp2 | not catalytic | |
| Gomberg-Bachmann reaction | 1924 | Ar-H | sp2 | Ar'-N2+X− | sp2 | not catalytic | |
| Cadiot-Chodkiewicz coupling | 1957 | RC≡CH | sp | RC≡CX | sp | Cu | requires base |
| Castro-Stephens coupling | 1963 | RC≡CH | sp | Ar-X | sp2 | Cu | |
| Corey-House synthesis | 1967 | R2CuLi or RMgX | sp3 | R-X | sp2, sp3 | Cu | Cu-catalyzed version by Kochi, 1971 |
| Cassar reaction | 1970 | Alkene | sp2 | R-X | sp3 | Pd | requires base |
| Kumada coupling | 1972 | Ar-MgBr | sp2, sp3 | Ar-X | sp2 | Pd or Ni or Fe | |
| Heck reaction | 1972 | alkene | sp2 | Ar-X | sp2 | Pd or Ni | requires base |
| Sonogashira coupling | 1975 | RC≡CH | sp | R-X | sp3sp2 | Pd and Cu | requires base |
| Murahashi coupling[7] | 1975 | RLi | sp2, sp3 | Ar-X | sp2 | Pd or Ni | Pd-catalyzed version by Murahashi, 1979 |
| Negishi coupling | 1977 | R-Zn-X | sp3, sp2, sp | R-X | sp3sp2 | Pd or Ni | |
| Stille cross coupling | 1978 | R-SnR3 | sp3, sp2, sp | R-X | sp3sp2 | Pd | |
| Suzuki reaction | 1979 | R-B(OR)2 | sp2 | R-X | sp3sp2 | Pd or Ni | requires base |
| Hiyama coupling | 1988 | R-SiR3 | sp2 | R-X | sp3sp2 | Pd | requires base |
| Buchwald-Hartwig reaction | 1994 | R2N-H | sp3 | R-X | sp2 | Pd | N-C coupling, second generation free amine |
| Fukuyama coupling | 1998 | R-Zn-I | sp3 | RCO(SEt) | sp2 | Pd or Ni[8] | |
| Liebeskind–Srogl coupling | 2000 | R-B(OR)2 | sp3, sp2 | RCO(SEt) Ar-SMe | sp2 | Pd | requires CuTC |
| (Li) Cross dehydrogenative coupling(CDC) | 2004 | R-H | sp, sp2, sp3 | R'-H | sp, sp2, sp3 | Cu, Fe, Pd etc | requires oxidant or dehydrogenation |
| Wurtz-Fittig reaction | R-X | sp3 | Ar-X | sp2 | Na | dry ether | |
Coupling reactions are routinely employed in the preparation of pharmaceuticals.[3] Conjugated polymers are prepared using this technology as well.[9]
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