Ligand-free, palladacycle-facilitated Suzuki coupling of hindered 2-arylbenzothiazole derivatives yields potent and selective COX-2 inhibitors.

A similarity search and molecular modeling study suggested the 2'-aryl-2-arylbenzothiazole framework as a novel scaffold for the design of COX-2-selective inhibitors. Conventional Suzuki coupling conditions did not furnish the designed compounds in good yield from 2'-bromo-2-arylbenzothiazole as the starting material. A novel ligand-free Suzuki-Miyaura coupling methodology was developed for sterically hindered 2'-bromo-2-arylbenzothiazoles.