Pd/NHC-catalyzed Arylsulfonylation of Boronic Acids: A General and Direct Protocol to Access Diarylsulfones

For the first time, robust NHC-Pd complexes have been demonstrated as highly efficient catalysts in the direct arylsulfonylation of boronic acids. Remarkably, a broad number of diaryliodonium salts as powerful electrophilic arylation reagents are well compatible to form functional ortho-substituted diarylsulfones in satisfactory yields. Owing to the stronger sigma-donor and weaker pi-acceptor properties, the acenaphthoimidazolylidene ligands exhibit higher catalytic activities towards this challenging one-step arylsulfonylation reaction. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.