Efficient synthesis of fluoro-containing liquid crystal materials via Pd-catalysed room temperature aerobic Suzuki reactions in aqueous media

A series of fluoro-containing liquid crystal materials were synthesised at room temperature under aerobic conditions in excellent yields starting from fluoro-containing phenylboronic acids with aryl halides in the presence of a simple hydrophilic trans-PdCl2(NH2CH2COOH)(2) as catalyst via aqueous media Suzuki cross-coupling reactions. Details relevant to the above reactions and to the reaction sequences adopted to get the corresponding fluoro-containing liquid crystal materials are presented. The structures of above catalyst and liquid crystal materials were characterised by element analyses, electrospray mass spectra, H-1 NMR and C-13 NMR.