Patent ID: 8492552

Claim:
A method for synthesizing a transition metal-containing precatalyst, comprising: reacting a palladium-containing compound, an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand precursor, and a compound having the structure, all contained together in a single reaction chamber, to form a transition metal-containing precatalyst having one of the following structures, wherein: M is Pd, Pt, or Ru; X 1 is halide; C is phenyl; R 1 and R 2 are phenyl groups substituted with one, two, or three alkyl groups selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, and t-butyl; R 5 and R 6 can be the same or different and are hydrogen, t-butyl, methoxy, or trifluoromethyl; R 7 and R 8 can be the same or different and are methyl, isopropyl, t-butyl, phenyl, phenoxy, or hydroxyl, or, one of R 7 and R 8 is methyl, isopropyl, t-butyl, phenyl, phenoxy, or hydroxyl and the other forms a bond with an atom of ; is alkyl or alkyl-substituted alkyl, wherein the palladium-containing compound, the N-heterocyclic carbene ligand precursor, and the compound are not joined by a bond prior to reacting.