Platinum-Catalyzed C–H Arylation of Simple Arenes

This report describes the Na2PtCl4 catalyzed C–H arylation of arene substrates with diaryliodonium salts. The site selectivity of these reactions is predominantly controlled by steric factors. Remarkably, Na2PtCl4-catalyzed naphthalene arylation proceeds with opposite site selectivity compared to that obtained with Na2PdCl4 as the catalyst. Preliminary mechanistic studies provide evidence for a PtII/PtIV catalytic cycle involving rate-limiting C–C bond-forming reductive elimination.