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 L2Pd 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.