title: A highly efficient catalytic system for cross-coupling of aryl chlorides and bromides with malononitrile anion by palladium carbene complexes.
abstract: Six imidazolium chlorides (1-6) as precursors of 1,3-diaryl substituted N-heterocyclic carbene ligands were synthesized and evaluated in palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of aryl chlorides and bromides with malononitrile in the presence of NaH. Among them, 1,3-bis(2,4,6-triethylphenyl)imidazolium chloride (5) and 1,3-bis(2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl)imidazolium chloride (6) are novel. The catalytic system combining Pd(0) with imidazolium salts 4, 5 and 6 with bulky aryl groups in pyridine is found to be superior over others and afforded alpha-arylmalononitriles in high yields when employing a wide variety of substrates.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China.
authors.forename: Chengwei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xiaochun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Yanlong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Jiling
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang