An efficient palladium-catalyzed Negishi cross-coupling reaction with arylvinyl iodides: facile regioselective synthesis of E-stilbenes and their analogues

A general synthetic route for the Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling of an arylzinc reagent with arylvinyl iodides (Negishi cross-coupling) has been developed. The system permits efficient and selective preparation of E-stilbenes and their analogues. It also functions effectively at low levels of catalyst loading without the need for an additional ligand and tolerates a wide range of functional groups including heteroaromatic substrates. A systematic study of various parameters was performed and correlated with catalyst–substrate activity.