Mild temperature amination of aryl iodides and aryl bromides with aqueous ammonia in the presence of CuBr and pyridyldiketone ligands

Highlights• Copper-catalyzed arylation of aqueous ammonia from aromatic halides.• Synthesis of aniline derivatives.• Mild temperature conditions in the presence of ambidentate pyridyldiketone ligands.International audienceCatalytic systems based on copper and simple ligands of ambidentate pyridyldiketone type were used in direct amination of aryl iodides and bromides with aqueous ammonia in one of the mildest conditions described in the literature, with reaction temperature ranging between 25 and 80 °C