The role of phosphine ligands in the catalytic systems of the Heck reaction with aromatic carboxylic anhydrides

Abstract

The results of a comparative study of phosphine-containing and phosphine-free catalytic systems of the Heck reaction using aromatic carboxylic anhydrides as arylating agents are presented. It was demonstrated that the patterns of diff erential selectivity of the reaction under competition of two aromatic anhydrides or two alkenes are independent of the presence of a tertiary phosphine additive in the system. It was established that palladium complexes with no phosphine ligands in their coordination sphere are catalytically active at the step of activation of aromatic carboxylic anhydride and alkene. The patterns of diff erential selectivity for regioisomers of arylated products provide the evidence of the participation of phosphine-containing anionic palladium complexes in the regioselectivity-determining step of the catalytic cycle. The data obtained are in agreement with the phosphine involvement in the catalyst transformations proceeding outside the main catalytic cycle.