Fluoride-free Hiyama coupling by palladium abnormal N-heterocyclic carbene complexes.

A series of palladium complexes of the abnormal N-heterocyclic carbene ligands of the type (a-NHC)PdI2(L) [L = NC5H5(1-3)b and PPh3(1-3)c] effectively catalyzed the Hiyama coupling of aryl bromides and iodides with PhSi(OMe)3 under the highly desired fluoride-free conditions. Interestingly enough, the pyridine based trans-(1-3)b complexes and a PPh3 derived cis-3c complex exhibited higher yields than the related PPh3 derived trans-(1-2)c complexes. The superior performances of the pyridine based trans-(1-3)b complexes and the PPh3 derived cis-3c complex have been correlated to a tighter binding of the a-NHC ligand to the palladium center in these complexes, leading to a greater (a-NHC) ligand influence on the metal center partaking in the catalysis.

Computational insight into a gold(I) N-heterocyclic carbene mediated alkyne hydroamination reaction.

A gold(I) N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex mediated hydroamination of an alkyne has been modeled using density functional theory (DFT) study. In this regard, alkyne and amine coordination pathways have been investigated for the hydroamination reaction between two representative substrates, namely, MeC≡CH and PhNH(2), catalyzed by a gold(I) NHC based (NHC)AuCl-type precatalyst, namely, [1,3-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene]gold chloride. The amine coordination pathway displayed a lower activation barrier than the alkyne coordination pathway.