Pd Metal Catalysts for Cross-Couplings and Related Reactions in the 21st Century: A Critical Review

Cross-couplings and related reactions are a class of highly efficient synthetic protocols that are generally promoted by molecular Pd species as catalysts. However, catalysts based on more or less highly dispersed Pd metal have been also employed for this purpose, and their use, which was largely limited to the Heck reaction until the turn of the century, has been extended in recent years to most reactions of this class. This review provides a critical overview on these recent applications of Pd metal catalysts. Particular attention is devoted to the discussion of the mechanistic pathways that have been proposed to explain the catalytic role of Pd metal. Furthermore, the most outstanding Pd metal based catalytic systems that have emerged are illustrated, together with the development of novel approaches to boost the reactivity of Pd metal. A section summarizing the current industrial applications of Pd metal catalyzed reactions of this kind concludes the review.