A Pd II Complex Bearing a Benzimidazole‐Derived Ligand with Potentially “Mesoionic and Remote” Character and Its Catalytic Activity

The oxidative addition of palladium(0) to the C2‐protected 5‐bromo‐2‐methylbenzimidazolium tetrafluoroborate 3 affords the complex trans ‐[PdBr(bimy)(PPh 3 ) 2 ]BF 4 ( 4 ), which is the first complex of an unprecedented benzimidazole‐derived ligand (bimy) with a potentially “mesoionic and remote” character. DFT calculations revealed that the bimy ligand bridges the gap between the mesoionic pyrazolin‐4‐ylidene and the anionic phenyl ligand. A preliminary catalytic study revealed the promising activity of 4 in the Sonogashira coupling of aryl bromides with phenylacetylene.