Microwave-assisted synthesis of pinacol boronates from aryl chlorides catalyzed by a palladium/imidazolium salt system.

[reaction: see text] Aryl chlorides bearing electron-withdrawing groups react with bis(pinacol)borane 1 to give aryl boronates in good to excellent yields in the presence of a catalyst formed in situ from Pd(OAc)(2) and the imidazolium chloride 2. The reaction is greatly accelerated when carried out under microwave heating.