Palladium-N-heterocyclic carbene an efficient catalytic system for the carbonylative cross-coupling of pyridine halides with boronic acids

Carbonylative cross-coupling of different pyridyl halides with various boronic acids was studied using catalytic systems constituted of N-heterocyclic carbene type ligands and palladium. These systems easily obtained in situ from the corresponding imidazolium salt and palladium acetate appear more efficient toward bromopyridines than catalysts based on hindered and basic alkylphosphines such as tricyclohexylphosphine. Their higher efficiency was also evidenced by coupling using chloro- or dichloropyridines and chloroquinolines, which practically do not react with catalytic systems based on phosphines.