Novel Pd(II) mixed N,S-heterocyclic carbene (NSHC)-phosphine complexes of the general formula [PdBr2(NSHC)(PR3)] were obtained from bridge cleavage of dinuclear NSHC complexes of type [PdBr2(NSHC)]2 [NSHC = 3-benzylbenzothiazolin-2-ylidene and 3-propylbenzothiazolin-2-ylidene] with triphenylphosphine, tricyclohexylphosphine and 2-diphenylphosphanyl-pyridine. All complexes have been fully characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, ESI mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. The X-ray crystal structures of complexes 3–8 are reported. The complexes exhibit moderate to good catalytic activity in the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction of aryl bromides and chlorides.
