Nickel-Catalyzed\nDecarboxylative Cross-Coupling of\nNHPI Esters to Access 1,4-Dialkylbenzenes

A practical nickel-catalyzed decarboxylative cross-coupling\nof <i>N</i>-hydroxyphthalimide esters with 1,4-diiodobenzene\nanalogues\nhas been developed. Under mild reaction conditions, a series of structurally\ninteresting 1,4-dialkylbenzene analogues have been accessed with good\nfunctional group tolerance, which are versatile precursors for organic\nsynthesis and a kind of important unit for bioactive molecules, polymers,\nand other materials. The synthetic application of this methodology\nwas demonstrated by the synthesis of 3-6-dialkylcarbazole derivatives.