CsF/clinoptilolite: an efficient solid base in S N Ar and copper-catalyzed Ullmann reactions

CsF/clinoptilolite was found to be an efficient solid base catalyst for both S N Ar and Ullmann ether reactions. A general and efficient one-step procedure was developed for the synthesis of biaryl ethers via direct coupling of electron-deficient aryl halides to phenols using CsF/clinoptilolite. The protocol was also applied to electron-rich aryl halides by addition of a catalytic amount of copper oxide nanoparticles. Both S N Ar and Ullmann reactions were rapid and provided good to excellent yields.