Efficient synthesis of functionalized 6-arylsalicylates via microwave-promoted Suzuki cross-coupling reaction

Functionalized 6-arylsalicylate substructures occur in a variety of pharmacologically relevant natural products and bioactive compounds. They are also broadly used as important intermediates in organic synthesis. Traditional synthetic methods have suffered from some drawbacks, such as relatively harsh reaction conditions, narrow range of substrates, and poor yields. Utilizing microwave irradiation, the synthesis of functionalized 6-arylsalicylates via a Suzuki cross-coupling has been developed with a wide range of substrates. Almost all the reactions proceeded smoothly and afforded moderate to excellent yields of products, which indicated that electronic effects and steric modifications have little effect on this reaction.