Palladium-catalyzed amination of aryl triflates

The conversion of aryl triflates to the corresponding aniline derivatives was accomplished in moderate to good yield using a catalyst consisting of the combination of palladium acetate (2 mol %) and either BINAP or Tol-BINAP. In contrast to the corresponding palladium-catalyzed amination of aryl bromides and iodides, electronically neutral aryl triflates gave higher yields of arylamines than did electron deficient aryl triflates, presumably due to the increased rate of base-promoted triflate cleavage in electron deficient substrates.