Buchwald-Hartwig reaction

chemistry

Also known as: Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling reaction

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July 22, 2026

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The Buchwald-Hartwig reaction is a crucial process in organic chemistry, primarily used for forming carbon-nitrogen bonds. This reaction utilizes a palladium atom, often paired with a phosphine ligand, as a catalyst. It was independently developed in the 1990s by chemists Stephen L. Buchwald and John F. Hartwig. This method has been instrumental in the pharmaceutical industry, aiding in the synthesis of drugs for treating conditions such as lung cancer and autoimmune diseases. The reaction builds upon earlier work involving palladium catalysts in organic synthesis, such as the Heck reaction.12

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Stephen L. Buchwald
…was the discovery of the Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling reaction, in which a palladium atom with a phosphine ligand (known as a Buchwald ligand) serves as the catalyst of a reaction that ends with the formation of a carbon-nitrogen bond. (The reaction is so named because American chemist John F. Hartwig worked…
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…was the discovery of the Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling reaction, in which a palladium atom with a phosphine ligand (known as a Buchwald ligand) serves as the catalyst of a reaction that ends with the formation of a carbon-nitrogen bond. (The reaction is so named because American chemist John F. Hartwig worked…
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John F. Hartwig
…was the discovery of the Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling reaction, in which a palladium atom with a phosphine ligand serves as the catalyst of a reaction that ends with the formation of a carbon-nitrogen bond. (The reaction is so named because American chemist Stephen L. Buchwald worked in this
Read More
…was the discovery of the Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling reaction, in which a palladium atom with a phosphine ligand serves as the catalyst of a reaction that ends with the formation of a carbon-nitrogen bond. (The reaction is so named because American chemist Stephen L. Buchwald worked in this
Read More