A Simple Building‐Block Route to (Phosphanyl‐carbene)palladium Complexes via Intermolecular Addition of Functionalised Phosphanes to Isocyanides

We present a straightforward protocol for making (phosphanyl‐carbene)Pd II complexes. These complexes have bidentate ligands containing an acyclic diamino‐ or aminooxy‐carbene and a phosphane. The synthesis gives good yields (typically 70–90 %) for a variety of complexes (22 compounds). Moreover, it does not require the synthesis of imidazolium salts nor the a priori generation of free carbenes. Three of the new complexes were tested as catalysts for Sonogashira and Hay coupling reactions, with good yields and selectivities. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)