Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Diaryl Acetamides, Benzofurans, Benzophenones, and Xanthenes by Transition-Metal-Free Oxidative Cross-Coupling of <i>sp</i>³ and <i>sp</i>² C–H Bonds

A chemo- and regioselective intermolecular sp3 C–H and sp2 C–H coupling reaction for C–C bond formation is described to access unsymmetrical diaryl acetamides under TM-free conditions from sec- and tert-arylacetamides and nitroarenes using tert-butoxide base in DMSO at room temperature. The coupling partners with sensitive functionalities such as chloro, bromo, hydroxy, and cyano were also amenable to the developed reaction. Synthesized α-(2/4-nitroaryl) phenylacetamides have been transformed into biologically important benzofurans, xanthenes, diaryl indoles, and unsymmetrical benzophenones by novel routes without applying a transition metal. Overall, an economical, yet efficient, strategy has been devised to access unsymmetrical diarylacetamides with the possibility of their further elaboration into a variety of biologically important heterocycles. Mechanistic understanding suggests that the reaction proceeds by a nucleophilic addition of a phenylacetamide carbanion, which is generated in the presence of tert-butoxide base, to the para or ortho (if para is substituted) position of nitrobenzene. The formed α-(4-nitro­cyclohexa-2,4-dien-1-yl) phenylacetamide anion intermediate oxidized by a basic solution of DMSO or atmospheric oxygen led to the desired sp3 C–H and sp2 C–H coupled α-(2/4-nitroaryl) phenylacetamides.