Suzuki-Miyaura, α-ketone arylation and dehalogenation reactions catalyzed by a versatile N-heterocyclic carbene-palladacycle complex

[GRAPHICS] The activity of the complex (IPr)PdCl(eta(2)-N,C-C(12)H(7)NMe(2)), 1 [IPr = (N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-imidazol)-2-ylidene], in the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction involving unactivated aryl chlorides and triflates with arylboronic acids at room temperature in technical, grade 2-propanol is described. These conditions allow for the synthesis of di- and tri-ortho-substituted biaryls in very short reaction times. This complex also displays very high activity for (x-ketone arylation and dehalogenation reactions of activated and unactivated aryl chlorides.