Well-Defined N-Heterocyclic Carbenes−Palladium(II) Precatalysts for Cross-Coupling Reactions

Metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, notably those permitting C-C bond formation, have witnessed a meteoritic development and are now routinely employed as a powerful synthetic tool both in academia and in industry. In this context, palladium is arguably the most studied transition metal, and tertiary phosphines occupy a preponderant place as ancillary ligands. Seriously challenging this situation, the use of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) as alternative ligands in palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions is rapidly gaining in popularity. These two-electron donor ligands combine strong sigma-donating properties with a shielding steric pattern that allows for both stabilization of the metal center and…