A Benzimidazole-Based <i>N</i>-Heterocyclic Carbene Derived from 1,10-Phenanthroline

Abstract

[reaction: see text] A catalytically active palladium-complexed tetracyclic N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) was prepared in three steps from commercially available 1,10-phenanthroline by using a reduction-cyclization-deprotonation sequence. The new carbene framework is a prototype for the development of a series of chiral N-heterocyclic carbenes.