Comprehensive Kinetic Screening of Palladium Catalysts for Heck Reactions

Abstract

Comprehensive kinetic screening of Pd catalysts for Heck reactions via a consecutive pulse reaction methodology allows a more informed choice of catalyst for a particular transformation, taking into account not only initial reactivity but also long-term catalyst stability. Competitive reactions also offer mechanistic information. The resting state and rate-limiting step within the catalytic cycle are found to be the same for phospha- and azapalladacycles and ligandless Pd(OAc)2 but different for the zero valent complex Pd[P(t-Bu)3]2.