Process for preparing organic compounds by a transition metal-catalysed cross-coupling reaction of an aryl-X, heteroaryl-X, cycloalkenyl-X or alkenyl-X compound with an alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl or cycloalkenyl halide

Process for preparing organic compounds of the general formula (I)

• R—R′ (I),
• where
• R is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic radical selected from the group consisting of phenyl, naphtyl, tolyl, anisole, cresol, aniline, and benzoic acid, and
• R′ is a linear, branched, substituted or unsubstitued C3-C12-alkyl radical,
• by reacting a corresponding compound of the general formula (II)
• R—X (II),
• where
• X is chlorine, bromine, iodine, diazonium, mesylate (methanesulphonate), tosylate (p-toluenesulphonate) or triflate (trifluoromethanesulphonate) and
• R is as defined for formula (I),
• with a corresponding compound of the general formula (III)
• R′—Y (III),
• where
• Y is chlorine, bromine or iodine and
• R′ is as defined for formula (I),
• wherein the reaction is carried out in the presence of
• a) stoichiometric amounts of elemental magnesium, based on the compound of the general formula (II), and
• b) amounts of an iron or cobalt compound from 0.01 to 50 mole percent of, based on the compound of the general formula (II),
• and,
• c) in the presence of a nitrogen-, oxygen- and/or phosphorus-containing additive in a catalytic or stoichiometric amount of from 0 to 200 mole percent, based on the compound of the general formula (II), and
• wherein the reaction is carried out as a one-pot process in which the organomagnesium compound (Grignard compound) formed in situ as intermediate is not isolated.