Phosphine and arsine adducts of N-donor palladacycles as catalysts in the Suzuki coupling of aryl bromides

Triarylphosphine and arsine adducts of imine- and amine-based palladacycles have been produced and the crystal structures of three examples have been determined, as has the structure of a parent imine-based palladacycle. The complexes were tested in the Suzuki coupling of an electronically deactivated aryl bromide and the phosphine adducts were found to show much greater activity than the parent palladacycles. Triarylphosphine adducts are preferable to trialkylphosphine adducts as they not only show higher activity but they are also more easily synthesised.