Palladium- and Nickel-Catalyzed Cross-Couplings of Unsaturated Halides Bearing Relatively Acidic Protons with Organozinc Reagents

A wide range of polyfunctional aryl, heteroaryl, alkyl, and benzylic zinc reagents were coupled with unsaturated aryl halides bearing an acidic NH or OH proton, using Pd(OAc)2 (1 mol %) and S-Phos (2 mol %) as catalyst without the need of protecting groups. A similar nickel-catalyzed reaction is described. The relative kinetic basicity of organozinc compounds as well as their stability toward acidic protons is also described.