Arylative Coupling of Pyridylphosphonium Salts with Aryl Thianthrenium Salts Enabled by Palladium Catalysis

Thianthrenium and phosphonium salts, readily installed via C-H functionalization, serve as versatile handles for arene diversification. Herein, we report a palladium-catalyzed direct coupling between pyridylphosphonium salts and arylthianthrenium salts to access 4-arylpyridines. This strategy is notable for bypassing both preformed organometallics and stoichiometric silver activators. The protocol is streamlined and practical, exhibiting excellent functional group compatibility and thus holding significant potential for the late-stage diversification of complex molecules.