Cross-Coupling of a Chloroaniline and Phenolic Acids Catalyzed by a Fungal Enzyme

The reaction between 3,4-dichloroaniline and vanillic, syringic and protocatechuic acids was investigated in the presence of a laccase isolated from the fungus Rhizoctoniapraticola. The aniline alone was not oxidized by the laccase, but if incubated with the phenolic acids and the laccase, cross-linking took place. Particularly the protocatechuic acid and syringic acid reacted with 3,4-dichloroaniline, and cross-linked dimers were isolated as main products.