Ni(Cod)(Dmfu): A Heteroleptic 16-Electron Precatalyst For 1,2-Diarylation Of Alkenes

Electron-deficient olefin (EDO) ligands are known to promote a variety of nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, presumably by accelerating the reductive elimination step and preventing undesired beta-hydride elimination. While there is a growing body of experimental and computational evidence elucidating the beneficial effects of EDO ligands, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the underlying coordination chemistry of the Ni-EDO species involved. In particular, most procedures rely on in situ assembly of the active catalyst, and there is a paucity of preligated Ni-EDO precatalysts. Herein, we investigate the 16-electron, heteroleptic nickel complex, Ni(COD)(DMFU), and examine the performance of this complex as a precatalyst in 1,2-diarylation of alkenes.