Synthesis of a (piperazin-1-ylmethyl)biaryl library via microwave-mediated Suzuki–Miyaura cross-couplings

Boc-protected (piperazin-1-ylmethyl)biaryls have been synthesised from (Boc-piperazin-1-ylmethyl)phenylboronic acid pinacol esters via a microwave-mediated Suzuki–Miyaura coupling with aryl bromides viz. 1-bromo-, 2-, 3- or 4-nitrobenzene or 2-bromo-5-nitropyridine. Judicial removal of the protecting group on the piperazine, or facile reduction of the nitro group on the biaryl system enabled the manipulation of two points of functionality in order to diversify the scope of the resulting biaryl library.