An Efficient Palladium-NHC (NHC=N-Heterocyclic Carbene) and Aryl Amination Pre-Catalyst: [Pd(IPr*)(cinnamyl)Cl]

The well-defined [Pd(IPr*)(cinnamyl)Cl] complex is reported as one of the best N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-based pre-catalysts for the Buchwald–Hartwig amination reaction. This catalytic system displays high efficiency for the coupling of numerous (hetero)aryl chlorides, with a wide range of amines, at room temperature or at extremely low catalyst loading (as low as 0.025 mol%).