Cu-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura reactions of primary and secondary benzyl halides with arylboronates.

A copper-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of benzyl halides with arylboronates is described. Varieties of primary benzyl halides as well as more challenging secondary benzyl halides with β hydrogens or steric hindrance could be successfully converted into the corresponding products. Thus it provides access to diarylmethanes, diarylethanes and triarylmethanes.