No abstract

An efficient protocol for the C−N cross‐coupling of aryl chlorides with (hetero)aryl‐ and alkyl amines under nickel catalysis has been developed. The main advantage of the protocol is the use of a self‐activated Ni/NHC catalytic system generated in situ from readily available bench‐stable air‐tolerant precursors: NiCl2Py2, IPr ⋅ HCl, and sodium tert‐butoxide. A mass spectrometry mechanistic study of the reaction system revealed the dynamics of competitive processes of Ni/NHC active species formation and degradation involving NHC reductive elimination reactions and tert‐butoxide base. Optimization of the NiCl2Py2/IPr ⋅ HCl/tBuONa ratio and the reaction temperature allowed efficient catalysis to be achieved. The developed simple protocol represents an alternative for methods relying on the use of air‐sensitive and unstable Ni(cod)2 or expensive well‐defined Ni/NHC precatalysts.