A comprehensive study of the effects of spectator ligands, transition metals and lithium halide additives on the efficiency of iron, nickel and palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of cyclohexyl magnesium bromide with fluorinated bromobenzenes.

Thirteen mono-, bis- and trifluorinated bromobenzene derivatives have been coupled with cyclohexyl magnesium bromide or the corresponding lithiumchloride or lithiumbromide adducts. Iron, nickel and palladium complexes of the general formula [MCl2(dppx)] (x = (CH2)n, n = 1, 2, 3) have been used as the precatalysts. Palladium based catalysts give high yields of the coupling product with the Grignard reagent itself whereas lithium halides are needed as additives to achieve comparable efficiencies if nickel and iron catalysts are used. Yields also depend on the chain length of the bridging units and on the fact whether fluorine substituents are present in ortho position with respect to bromine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]