A selection of heteroaryl fluorosulfates were readily synthesized using commercial SO2F2 gas. These substrates are highly efficient coupling partners in the Suzuki reaction. Through judicious selection of Pd catalysts the fluorosulfate functionality is differentiated from bromide and chloride; the order of reactivity being: -Br> -OSO2 F> -Cl. Exploiting this trend allowed the stepwise chemoselective synthesis of a number of polysubstituted pyridines, including the drug Etoricoxib.
Keywords: Suzuki reaction; chemoselectivity; cross-coupling reactions; fluorosulfates; palladium; polysubstituted pyridine.
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