A comparison between (a/n-NHC)PdX2(pyridine) and (a/n-NHC)2PdX2 (X = I, Cl) type complexes of abnormal fused-bicyclic imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine based N-heterocyclic carbene (a-NHC) and of normal imidazole based N-heterocyclic carbene (n-NHC) ligands in the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions

Accessing Heteroannular Benzoxazole and Benzimidazole Scaffolds via Carbodiimides Using Azide-Isocyanide Cross-Coupling as Catalyzed by Mesoionic Singlet Palladium Carbene Complexes Derived from a Phenothiazine Moiety

The coupling of aryl and aliphatic azides with isocyanides yielding carbodiimides (8-17) were efficiently catalyzed by well-defined structurally characterized trans-(MIC)PdI₂(L) [MIC = 1-CH₂Ph-3-Me-4-(CH₂N(C₆H₄)₂S)-1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene, L = NC₅H₅ (4), MesNC (5)], trans-(MIC)₂PdI₂ (6), and cis-(MIC)Pd(PPh₃)I₂ (7) type palladium complexes, which incidentally mark the first instances of the use of mesoionic singlet palladium carbene complexes for the said application. As observed from the product yields, the catalytic activity varied in the order 4 > 5 ∼ 6 > 7 for these complexes. A detailed mechanistic studies indicated that the catalysis proceeded via a palladium(0) (4a-7 a) species. Using a representative palladium precatalyst (4), the azide-isocyanide coupling was successfully extended to synthesizing two different bioactive heteroannular benzoxazole (18-22) and benzimidazole (23-27) derivatives, thereby broadening the scope of the catalytic application.