What is Castro-Stephens coupling?
The Castro-Stephens coupling reaction is a method for synthesizing diarylacetylenes. This involves treating aryl iodides with cuprous acetylides in pyridine under a nitrogen, N2, atmosphere. The reaction results in high yields of the desired product. Moreover, the reaction exclusively converts aryl iodides with ortho-nucleophilic substituents into the corresponding heterocycle.
- X = I, Br, Cl
- R = alkyl, aryl, vinyl
References
C.E. Castro, R.D. Stephens, “The Substitution of Aryl Iodides with Cuprous Acetylides. A Synthesis of Tolanes and Heterocyclics” The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 1963, 28, 12, 3313–3315 (1963)
Full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Granada, with a long-standing research career in Computational Chemistry and molecular modeling and design.