N-Heterocyclic carbene-palladium(II)-1-methylimidazole complex catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of benzylic chlorides with arylboronic acids or potassium phenyltrifluoroborate in neat water.

An easily available N-heterocyclic carbene-palladium(II)-1-methylimidazole complex showed efficient catalytic activity in the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of benzylic chlorides with arylboronic acids or potassium phenyltrifluoroborate in neat water under mild conditions, providing an alternative method for the synthesis of diarylmethane derivatives, which widely exist in molecules with pharmaceutical activities and are also frequently found as subunits in supramolecules. Under the optimal conditions, all reactions performed well to give the desired products in moderate to almost quantitative yields in an environmentally benign medium within 12 h, extending their applications toward potentially industrial processes.