N‐Heterocyclic Benzhydrylamines as New N,N‐Bidentate Ligands in Palladium Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization and Catalytic Activity

Abstract

Abstract The synthesis of new N , N ‐bidentate ligands based on a π‐deficient N‐heterocyclic benzhydrylamine core is described. The corresponding air‐stable palladium complexes are obtained in high yields and fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray structure determination. These new phosphane‐free catalytic systems proved efficient in the Suzuki–Miyaura reaction, enabling us to obtain biaryl products in good yields, also for reactions with o ‐substituted phenyl chlorides as starting materials. The effects of both electronic and steric modulations at the benzhydrylamine core on the catalytic activity are also described.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)