Mechanistic Insights into Pincer-Ligated Palladium-Catalyzed Arylation of Azoles with Aryl Iodides: Evidence of a PdII–PdIV–PdII Pathway

Pincer-based (R2POCNR′2)­PdCl complexes along with CuI cocatalyst catalyze the arylation of azoles with aryl iodides to give the 2-arylated azole products. Herein, we report an extensive mechanistic investigation for the direct arylation of azoles involving a well-defined and highly efficient (iPr2POCNEt2)­PdCl (2a) catalyst, which emphasizes a rare PdII–PdIV–PdII redox catalytic pathway. Kinetic studies and deuterium labeling experiments indicate that the C–H bond cleavage on azoles occurs via two distinct routes in a reversible manner. Controlled reactivity of the catalyst 2a underlines the iodo derivative (iPr2POCNEt2)­PdI (3a) to be the resting state of the catalyst. The intermediate species (iPr2POCNEt2)­Pd-benzothiazolyl (4a) has been isolated and structurally characterized. A determination of reaction rates of compound 4a with electronically different aryl iodides has revealed the kinetic significance of the oxidative addition of the C­(sp2)–X electrophile, aryl iodide, to complex 4a. Furthermore, the reactivity behavior of 4a suggests that the arylation of benzothiazole proceeds via an oxidative addition/reductive elimination pathway involving a (iPr2POCNEt2)­PdIV(benzothiazolyl)­(Ar)I species, which is strongly supported by DFT calculations.