Development of an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand based on concept of chiral mimetic

Development of a new N-heterocyclic carbene ligand based on the concept of a chiral mimetic is described. In Pd-catalyzed enantioselective intramolecular α-arylation of N-(2-bromophenyl)-N-methyl-2-arylpropanamide, (4R,5R)-4,5-diphenyl-1,3-diadamantylmethyl-4,5-dihydro-3H-imidazol-1-ium tetrafluoroborate is shown to function as a good N-heterocyclic carbene precursor.