For the first time it is shown that N-heterocyclic carbenes are suitable ligands for the palladium-catalyzed coupling of alkyl chlorides with aryl Grignard reagents. A variety of simple as well as functionalized primary alkyl chlorides provide the corresponding alkyl benzenes in general in good to very good yield. By comparing the 1, 3-dimesitylimidazol-2- ylidene (IMes) palladium (0) naphthoquinone complex with the previously known ...