Direct Ferration and Nickel-Catalyzed Alkylation of Aromatic Compounds

Significance

For the first time, a stable and storable reagent allowing a general ferration of arenes is described. The metalation proceeds at 25 ˚C within several hours and directly gives an aryl iron species, which undergoes a nickel-promoted alkylation with primary and secondary alkyl halides. The process tolerates many functional groups, such as ester and nitrile, and is suitable for a broad variety of substrates.