Patent ID: 7105467

Claim:
A method for coupling an organomagnesium compound of the formula: R 1 MgX 1 with an aromatic ether compound of the formula: Ar 1 —OR 2 to produce a coupled aromatic compound of the formula: Ar 1 —R 1 , said method comprising admixing the organomagnesium compound with the aromatic ether compound in the presence of a nickel catalyst comprising a phosphino-ligand of the formula PR 3 R 4 R 5 , wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of aryl and heteroaryl; R 2 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, aralkyl and a moiety of the formula —SiR 9 R 10 R 11 , wherein each of R 9 , R 10 and R 11 is independently a hydrocarbon moiety; Ar 1 is aryl or heteroaryl; X 1 is a magnesium metal ligand; each of R 3 and R 4 is independently a saturated hydrocarbon moiety having from one to about twelve carbon atoms; and R 5 is selected from the group consisting of a saturated hydrocarbon moiety having from one to about twelve carbon atoms and an aryl moiety having from six to fourteen carbon ring atoms.