1,3-Dicarbonyl compounds as phosphine-free ligands for Pd-catalyzed Heck and Suzuki reactions

Some 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds (such as pentane-2,4-dione and 3-oxo-N-phenylbutanamide) were found to constitute highly efficient, yet low-priced and phosphine-free ligands for the Pd-catalyzed Heck and Suzuki reactions of aryl bromides and iodides with very high turnover numbers (ca. 103–104).