Development of Preformed Pd Catalysts for Cross-Coupling Reactions, Beyond the 2010 Nobel Prize

Strategies for the development of Pd catalysts based on utilization of L 2 Pd and LPd species, beyond the contributions of the 2010 Nobel Laureates Richard Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi, and Akira Suzuki, along with their contemporaries, are reviewed. These well-defined, preformed Pd catalysts improve the selectivity and activity of selected cross-coupling reactions by reducing the metal loading and the ligand-to-metal ratios. This review describes predominantly the development of Pd precatalysts over the last 10 years and highlights the benefits often observed when using well-defined preformed catalysts relative to those generated in situ.