N-heterocyclic carbene-palladium(II)-1-methylimidazole complex-catalyzed direct C-H bond arylation of (benz)imidazoles with aryl chlorides

Abstract

(Benz)imidazoles can be efficiently functionalized by (hetero)aryl chlorides via direct C-H bond arylation in the presence of a well-defined NHC-Pd(II)-Im complex. Under the optimal conditions, various activated, unactivated, and deactivated (hetero)aryl chlorides were successfully applied as the arylating reagents to achieve the 2-(hetero)aryl (benz)imidazoles in acceptable to high yields, giving a facile and alternative methodology for the direct C-H bond arylation of (benz)imidazoles.