A series of novel (NHC)PdCl₂-PR₃ complexes were synthesized and fully characterized by ¹H, ¹³C, ³¹P NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy. These complexes showed high catalytic activity toward solvent-free Buchwald–Hartwig amination. Both primary and secondary amines were efficiently utilized under the same reaction conditions. The solvent-free synthesis of valuable N-aryl carbazoles and similar N-heterocyclic systems was described.

A new environmentally friendly approach to transition metal- and solvent-free amide synthesis from aryl esters and aryl amines is described.

Polymers derived from norbornenes with polar groups are of interest as modular templates and materials for membrane processes and microelectronic applications due to the attractive combination of their properties. However, the synthesis of high-molecular weight homopolymers from norbornenes containing polar groups is still a challenge. Herein, we report our examination of the precatalyst and cocatalyst influence on vinyl-addition polymerization of two types of norbornene monomers with bulky and polar groups (substituted nadimides and norbornenes with cellosolve motif). The key to successful vinyl addition polymerization of these monomers is the proper combination of a cocatalyst and a Pd precatalyst. Both components of a catalytic system seem to play equal roles. The catalytic activity and molecular weights of the resulting polymers are efficiently tuned by the nature of both pre- and cocatalyst. Moreover, the impact of the cocatalyst depends on the monomer nature and can be different for norbornenes with nonpolar and polar groups. As a result, a set of glassy and amorphous vinyl-addition homopolymers from norbornenes with polar groups is prepared with yields up to 98% and M_w ≤ 3 × 10⁶ over Pd complexes with N-heterocyclic carbene ligands. The polymers exhibit excellent film-forming properties. These results provide an insight and opportunity for further work expansion in order to obtain new high-performance polymers based on strained cycloalkenes with polar groups, which are not currently available.

We have found that expanded-ring NHC gold( i ) complexes efficiently and regioselectively catalyze the hydration of alkylarylacetylenes in an anti-Markovnikov fashion due to steric repulsion build-up in the transition state, giving benzylalkyl ketones.

The reaction of direct photoinitiated iodosulfonylation of internal acetylenes with p-tolylsulfonyl iodide and its regioselectivity of the products was studied. Methods for the subsequent functionalization of β-iodovinylsulfones using cross-coupling reactions to obtain valuable and non-available compounds are proposed.