1,2,3-Triazol-5-ylidene-palladium complex catalyzed Mizoroki-Heck and Sonogashira coupling reactions

The bis-1,4-dimesityl-1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene-palladium complex (1a) successfully catalyzes the Mizoroki-Heck and Sonogashira coupling reactions with aryl bromides to give the corresponding alkenes and alkynes, respectively, in good to excellent yields. In the Mizoroki-Heck reaction, electron-rich, electron-poor, and functionalized aryl bromides and alkenes are tolerated, while the substrates are limited to electron-poor aryl halides in the Sonogashira coupling reaction. The palladium complex also catalyzes cross-coupling reactions with aryl chlorides to give higher yields of products than does the bis-IMes-Pd complex analogue (2), under specific conditions.