Phosphine-free Pd–salen complexes as efficient and inexpensive catalysts for Heck and Suzuki reactions under aerobic conditions

Phosphine-free palladium–salen complexes, N,N′-bis(salicylidene)-ethylenediamino-palladium and N,N′-bis(salicylidene)-1,2-phenylenediamino palladium, are found to be highly active catalysts for the Heck olefination of aryl iodides and Suzuki reaction of aryl iodides and bromides giving excellent yields (70–90%) of products under aerobic conditions, in short reaction times (10–60 min).