Synthesis of 2-Arylphenol Derivatives through a One-Pot Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling/Dehydrogenative Aromatization Sequence with Pd/C Catalysis

One-pot synthesis of 2-arylphenols starting from 2-iodo-2-cyclohexen-1-one and arylboronic acids through sequential Suzuki-Miyaura coupling/dehydrogenative aromatization with Pd/C catalysis has been developed. A range of arylboronic acids serve as substrates, including those containing electron-donating or electron-withdrawing groups. Additionally, one-pot synthesis of di- or trisubstituted phenols bearing a phenyl group at the ortho position are also generated by using 2-iodo-2-cyclohexen-1-one derivatives as substrate. In the present method, commercially available and easily removable Pd/C was employed as a catalyst without any ligands. The operationally simple procedure and accessible conditions were used to provide modified phenols as the sole product in moderate to high yields.