Biheteroarenes containing the benzothiazole motif usually possess a range of biological activities and unique optical properties; thus the important scaffold benzothiazole is frequently found in numerous pharmaceuticals and biochemicals. Based on the atom- and step-economic principles, the double C–H activation and cross-coupling of two simple heteroarenes would represent a very attractive, concise and sustainable approach towards the syntheses of these compounds.

Research group lead by Prof.YANG Chunhao from Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica,CAS recently developed a concise palladium-catalyzed method for oxidative C–H/C–H cross-coupling between benzothiazoles and thiophenes/thiazoles. This oxidative cross-coupling reaction, which is insensitive to air and moisture, is compatible with a wide range of functional groups.

Additionally, the palladium-catalyzed system allows the oxidative cross-coupling not only between electron-deficient and electron-rich heteroarenes but also between two electron-deficient heteroarenes. This work, entitled "Palladium-catalyzed oxidative C–H/C–H cross-coupling of benzothiazoles with thiophenes and thiazoles" has been published by Chemical Communications.

This work was supported by "SIMM1203ZZ-0103" program.

http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2014/CC/c4cc00362d#!divAbstract