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, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR.