Thorpe-Ingold Effect in Branch-Selective Alkylation of Unactivated Aryl Fluorides

Presented herein is a general protocol for the alkylation of simple aryl fluorides with unbiased secondary Grignard reagents by means of nickel catalysis. This study revealed a general Thorpe-Ingold effect in the ligand backbone which confers a high degree of selectivity for the secondary carbon center in the C-C coupling event. This protocol is characterized by mild reaction conditions, robustness, and simplicity. Both electron-rich and electron-deficient aryl fluorides are suitable candidates in this transformation. Equally amenable are a variety of heterocycles, permitting the coupling without over alkylation at the electrophilic sites.