Synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity in Suzuki–Miyaura coupling of palladacycle complexes with n‐butyl‐substituted N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands

Abstract

A series of monomeric palladacycle complexes bearing n‐butyl‐substituted N‐heterocyclic carbenes, namely [Pd(NHC)X(dmba)] (dmba: dimethylbenzylamine and [Pd(NHC)X(ppy)]; NHC: 1‐n‐butyl‐3‐substituted benzylimidazol‐2‐ylidene; ppy: 2‐phenylpyridine), were prepared either by transmetallation from the corresponding silver carbene complexes or by the reaction of the corresponding acetate‐bridged palladacycle dimer with N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands in high yields. The palladium(II) complexes were characterized using elemental analyses, APCI‐MS, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopies. These complexes are efficient in the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction between phenylboronic acid and aryl bromides.