One-pot synthesis of unsymmetrical triarylamines from aniline precursors

The "one-pot" synthesis of triarylamines from an aniline and two different aryl halides is described. A catalytic system composed of Pd-2(dba)(3)/P(t- Bu)(2)-o-biphenyl (1) is used to prepare a variety of triarylamines in a si ngle flask by the coupling of an aniline with an aryl bromide and aryl chlo ride. The synthesis of triarylamines containing a heterocyclic aryl group i s also described by employing a one-flask, two-step method. These methods c an be used to synthesize both discrete triarylamines and a triarylamine lib rary.