Dinuclear macrocyclic palladium complexes having pincer coordinating groups and their catalytic properties in Mizoroki-Heck reactions

► Improved method to prepare the dinuclear macrocyclic palladium complexes has been described. ► A new complex bearing acetonitrile ligands was synthesized and characterized. ► The structure of the acetonitrile complex was studied by X-ray. ► Catalytic activities of the complexes for Mizoroki-Heck type reaction were studied. ► High turnover number up to 30000 was found for one of the complexes.