Four-Component Synthesis of Phosphonium Salts: Application Toward an Alternative Approach to Cross-Coupling for the Synthesis of Bis-Heteroarenes

A series of stable phosphonium salts have been synthesized via a novel four-component reaction of an arene nucleophile, 2-heteroatom substituted aryl aldehyde, and phosphine in presence of an acid. The phosphonium salts thus obtained were utilized for the synthesis of a variety of bis-heteroarenes, providing an efficient alternative method to the classical cross-coupling strategies.