Towards the rational design of palladium-N-heterocyclic carbene catalysts by a combined experimental and computational approach

A combined experimental and computational approach towards the development of Pd–NHC catalysts is described. A range of benzimidazolylidinium ligands incorporating electron-rich and electron-poor substituents were prepared and evaluated in the Suzuki reaction. The most electron-rich ligand showed the highest catalytic activity. Based on this information, the first alkyl–alkyl Negishi cross-coupling reaction protocol was developed. Evaluation of N,N′-diaryl-(4,5-dihydro)imidazolylilidinium ligands showed a strong dependence on the steric topography around the metal centre. A computational study of the most active ligand in the Negishi reaction, its Pd(0) and PdCl2-complexes and related structures were modelled at the B3LYP/DZVP and HF/3-21G levels of theory. The potential energy hypersurfaces flattened with increase in ligand size. Binding energies were computed for carbene/Pd(0) adducts (in the range ∼31–40 kcal mol−1), roughly double that for PH3 (∼16 kcal mol−1). Weak intramolecular interactions were found using AIM analyses.