Synthesis of Triarylmethanes via Palladium-Catalyzed Suzuki Coupling of Trimethylammonium Salts and Arylboronic Acids

An efficient palladium-catalyzed Suzuki coupling of 1,1-diarylmethyl-trimethylammonium triflates with arylboronic acids is reported. This reaction offers a novel approach to triarylmethane derivatives in good to excellent yields with the palladium-catalyzed C–N bond cleavage as the key feature. Broad substrate scope regarding both reaction partners are observed. Moreover, reactive functional groups such as vinyl and formyl groups are conserved in this transformation.