Efficient N-heterocyclic carbene nickel pincer complexes catalyzed cross coupling of benzylic ammonium salts with boronic acids

Pyridine-bridged bis-benzimidazolylidene nickel complex exhibited very high catalytic activity at low catalyst loading toward cross coupling of inactive (hetero)aryl benzylic ammonium salts with (hetero)aryl boronic acids under mild reaction conditions via CN activation, and produced a broad number of diarylmethanes up to quantitative yields.