Bis‐benzimidazolium‐palladium system catalyzed Suzuki‐Miyaura coupling reaction of aryl bromides under mild conditions

Bis‐benzimidazolium salts were prepared successfully from commercially available and inexpensive o‐phenylenediamine through a series of simple reactions. The bis‐NHC‐Pd complexes prepared in situ can catalyze Suzuki‐Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction under very mild conditions in aqueous media with excellent yields. The efficiency of this reaction is demonstrated by its compatibility with a range of functional groups. Di‐ortho‐substituted biaryls could be accomplished in 89–99% yields. Moreover, the rigorous exclusion of air or moisture is not required in these transformations.