A unique family of N-heterocyclic carbenes derived from bioxazolines (IBiox) suitable for application in transition-metal catalysis is described. The ligands are electron rich, sterically demanding, and have restricted flexibility. Their usefulness has been demonstrated in the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of sterically hindered aryl chlorides and boronic acids. For the first time, tetraortho-substituted biaryls with methyl and larger ortho-substituents have been synthesized from aryl chlorides using the Suzuki-Miyaura method.

A juggling act: The steric bulk of the ligand enhances reductive elimination in the Pd‐catalyzed Suzuki cross‐coupling. However, it impedes the oxidative addition and transmetallation of sterically hindered substrates. This dilemma is solved with the carbene ligand 1, which exhibits flexible steric bulk.

Enantiomerically pure imidazolium triflates can be readily prepared from bioxazolines and oxazolineimines; deprotonation of imidazolium triflate 2 gives a chiral N-heterocyclic carbene that can act as a ligand in a catalytically active palladium complex.