Synthesis of Triarylmethanes by Palladium-Catalyzed C–H/C–O Coupling of Oxazoles and Diarylmethanol Derivatives

A PdCl₂(MeCN)₂/PPhCy₂ catalyst couples oxazoles with diarylmethyl carbonates or pivalates to form the corresponding triarylmethanes in good yields. The catalysis involves successive secondary benzylic sp³ C–O and heteroaromatic sp² C–H cleavages and provides an effective access to heteroarene-containing triarylmethanes from nonhalogenated and nonmetalated starting materials, which is complementary to precedented cross-coupling technologies with organic halides and organometallic reagents.