Nickel-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reaction of Aryl Bromides/Nitriles with Imidazolium Salts Involving Inert C–N Bond Cleavage

We herein present a nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of aryl halides and nitriles with imidazolium salts. A series of 2-arylated imidazoles could be obtained in moderate to good yields through inert C–N bond cleavage. The imidazolium salt in this reaction acts as both a coupling partner and N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand precursor. Mechanistic studies reveal that consecutive steps of migratory insertion of the NHC into the aryl C–Ni bond and β-C elimination might be involved in the proposed reaction mechanism.