LAUSR

Abstract A new catalytic system with Ni(NO3)2·6H2O as the catalyst and a pincer pyrrole-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene as the ligand was employed in the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of aryl iodides with arylboronic acids. With 5 mol% catalyst, the catalytic reactions proceeded at 160 °C, giving coupling products in isolated yields of up to 94% in short reaction times (1-4 h). The system worked efficiently with aryl iodides bearing electron-donating or electron-withdrawing groups and arylboronic acids with electron-donating groups. Steric effects were observed for both aryl iodides and arylboronic acids. It is proposed that the reactions underwent a Ni(I)/Ni(III) catalytic cycle.