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Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Synthesis of a Borylated Ibuprofen Derivative Through Suzuki Cross-Coupling and Alkene Boracarboxylation Reactions
Published on: November 30, 2022
Exploiting the trifluoroethyl group as a precatalyst ligand in nickel-catalyzed Suzuki-type alkylations
Yi Yang1, Qinghai Zhou2, Junjie Cai1
1Key Laboratory of Green Catalysis of Higher Education Institutes of Sichuan , School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering , Sichuan University of Science & Engineering , 180 Xueyuan Street, Huixing Lu , Zigong , Sichuan 643000 , China .
Abstract:
We report herein the exploitment of the partially fluorinated trifluoroethyl as precatalyst ligands in nickel-catalyzed Suzuki-type alkylation and fluoroalkylation coupling reactions. Compared with the [L NiII(aryl)(X)] precatalysts, the unique characters of bis-trifluoroethyl ligands imparted precatalyst [(bipy)Ni(CH2CF3)2] with bench-top stability, good solubilities in organic media and interesting catalytic activities. Preliminary mechanistic studies reveal that an eliminative extrusion of a vinylidene difluoride (VDF, CH2[double bond, length as m-dash]CF2) mask from [(bipy)Ni(CH2CF3)2] is a critical step for the initiation of a catalytic reaction.
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