C–H Homocoupling of Arenes via Pd/S,O-Ligand Catalysis

Non-directed Pd-catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenative homocoupling of arenes is achieved in the presence of an S,O-ligand. The reaction proceeds under aerobic and mild reaction conditions with a wide range of anisole derivatives, providing direct access to symmetric biaryls with excellent ortho-ortho or para-para regioselectivity. Notably, the use of the arene as the limiting reagent enables late-stage functionalization of complex pharmaceutical molecules. The industrial applicability of this methodology is demonstrated through the synthesis of the Upilexmonomer via the homocoupling of unactivatedo-xylene.