Aryl–O reductive elimination from reaction of well-defined aryl–Cuiiispecies with phenolates: the importance of ligand reactivityElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental details. See DOI: 10.1039/c1dt10428d.

Well-defined aryl–Cuiiispecies undergo rapid reductive elimination upon reaction with phenolates (PhO−), to form aryl–OPh cross-coupling products. Kinetic studies show that the reaction follows a different mechanistic pathway compared to the reaction with phenols. The pH active cyclized pincer-like ligand undergoes an initial amine deprotonation that triggers a faster reactivity at room temperature. A mechanistic proposal for the enhanced reactivity and the role of EPR-detected Cuiispecies will be discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]