Cross-coupling reactions are pivotal in organic chemistry, playing essential roles in pharmaceutical manufacturing, developing novel materials, and constructing complex and novel organic structures.1-3 Since the 1970s, traditional C-C bond cross-coupling reactions, which rely on preformed organometallic nucleophilic reagents, have become a dominant method for synthesizing biaryl units.4-8 With the continuous progress of synthesis methodology, an alternative approach involving the direct coupling of two readily available electrophilic reagents, offers a more straightforward pathway to form C-C bonds and eliminates the need for prepared organometallic nucleophiles.9-12 However, this strategy faces challenges, particularly in achieving efficient cross-coupling between two distinct electrophilic reagents, as it frequently results in substantial homocoupling products. Overcoming the inherently poor chemical selectivity to realize expected cross-coupling is essential, which usually necessitates carefully optimized catalytic conditions.
In the past decades, phenol derivatives have become environmentally friendly alternatives to aromatic halides in traditional cross-coupling reactions due to their abundant sources, much lower toxicity and high flexibility in reactivity.13-17 These derivatives, including sulfonates, phosphates, carbamates, carboxylates, and ethers, have made significant progress in reductive cross-coupling reactions (Fig. 1A).18-27 Among them, aryl ethers are particularly notable for their widespread availability, cost-effectiveness, safety, and excellent atom economy. Nonetheless, activating the C-O bond in aryl ethers, which is inherently inert with a bond dissociation energy (BDE) of 100 kcal/mol, poses substantial challenges.13,27 Concurrently, there is burgeoning interest in the activation of the C-F bond, which is one of the strongest bonds in organic chemistry.28-33 The dissociation of C-F bond in fluorinated arenes (Ar-F; BDE 126 kcal/mol) tends to be more difficult compared to that in other halogenated (Cl, Br, I) arenes.30 Activation of the C-F bond entails overcoming considerable thermodynamic barriers and disrupting the conjugative interactions between the aromatic π-system and the C−F bond. Consequently, employing both aryl ethers and aryl fluorides directly as electrophilic reagents in reductive cross-coupling reactions remains a formidable challenge.
Mechanochemistry has garnered significant attention for its operational simplicity and ability to unveil novel reaction pathways unattainable in liquid-phase environments. This method is distinguished by its benefits including abbreviated reaction times, the use of insoluble starting materials, minimal solvent/reagent consumption, and enhanced reaction activity and selectivity.34-40 Recently, research teams led by Harrowfield,41 Hanusa,42 Ito,43 Bolm,44 Kananovich,45 Wei,46 and Yu47-48 have exploited ball-milling conditions to activate C-X (X= I, Br, Cl) bonds using metallic magnesium, facilitating the synthesis of Grignard reagents that proved effective in organic synthesis. Despite these advancements in generating Grignard reagents under mechanochemical conditions with zero-valent magnesium, the mechanochemical activation of aryl fluorides remains underexplored due to the inertness of the C-F bond, which displays limited efficiency.42 In response to this challenge, we present the first instance of a mechanical-force-induced, nickel-catalyzed formal reductive cross-coupling reaction between two traditionally inert electrophilic agents: aryl ether and aryl fluoride (Fig. 1B). This reaction progresses under mild conditions, eliminating the requirement for prior metallic magnesium activation and extensive solvent use. This approach simplifies the operational procedure, reduces the reaction time, and introduces new strategies for polymer degradation and the construction of luminescent materials. Moreover, this mechanical reaction cannot be achieved using traditional solvent-based systems, underscoring the method's inherent value and potential applications.