Chugaev‐type bis(acyclic diaminocarbenes) as a new ligand class for the palladium‐catalyzed Mizoroki–Heck reaction

A series of differently substituted Chugaev‐type palladium bis(acyclic diaminocarbene) complexes was screened to identify the most active catalyst for Mizoroki–Heck coupling reactions of aryl bromides with styrene. The best catalyst, which contains three methyl groups on the bis(carbene) ligand, gives excellent coupling yields at 120 °C for both activated and deactivated aryl bromides. However, activity with aryl chlorides is limited to electron‐deficient examples. The optimized catalyst demonstrates limited air and moisture stability, giving reduced yields in couplings of activated aryl bromides in open‐flask conditions. The modular synthesis of this class of catalysts should allow further fine‐tuning of activity in Mizoroki–Heck and related coupling reactions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.