Synthetic Strategy for AB 2 -Type Arsines via Bidentate Dithiolate Leaving Groups.

Despite their potential for several transition-metal-catalyzed reactions, arsenic ligands are poorly diversified. In this work, we developed an efficient synthetic methodology for AB 2 -type ligands, which is a typical motif in phosphorus systems, for example, in Buchwald ligands. The introduction of 1,2-benzenedithiol to tribromoarsine reduces the reactivity of two of the three reaction sites. After the substitution reaction with the first nucleophile involving the elimination of bromide, the substitution reaction with the second nucleophile produced AB 2 -type arsines through the elimination of the dithiolate anion. Among the various types of obtained AB 2 -type arsines, the arsa-Buchwald ligands, which are arsenic analogues of Buchwald ligands, were applied to the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction. Some of the arsa-Buchwald ligands showed activity comparable to that of the well-known Buchwald ligand, SPhos. Furthermore, the arsenic analogue of SPhos showed higher activity and stability than SPhos under open-air conditions.