One aspect of the present invention relates to
copper-catalyzed carbon-
heteroatom and carbon-carbon bond-forming methods. In certain embodiments, the present invention relates to
copper-catalyzed methods of forming a carbon-
sulfur bond between the
sulfur atom of a
thiol moiety and the
activated carbon of an
aryl, heteroaryl, or
vinyl halide or
sulfonate. In other embodiments, the present invention relates to
copper(II)-catalyzed methods of forming a carbon-
nitrogen bond between the
nitrogen atom of an
amide and the
activated carbon of an
aryl, heteroaryl, or
vinyl halide or
sulfonate. In certain embodiments, the present invention relates to copper-catalyzed methods of forming a carbon-carbon bond between the
carbon atom of
cyanide ion and the
activated carbon of an
aryl, heteroaryl, or
vinyl halide or
sulfonate. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a copper-catalyzed method of transforming an aryl, heteroaryl, or
vinyl chloride or
bromide into the corresponding aryl, heteroaryl, or vinyl
iodide. Yet another embodient of the present invention relates to a tandem method, which may be practiced in a single reaction vessel, wherein the first step of the method involves the copper-catalyzed formation of an aryl, heteroaryl, or vinyl
iodide from the corresponding aryl, heteroaryl, or
vinyl chloride or
bromide; and the second step of the method involves the copper-catalyzed formation of an aryl, heteroaryl, or vinyl
nitrile,
amide or
sulfide from the aryl, heteroaryl, or vinyl
iodide formed in the first step.