Heck coupling reactions ketone enolate arylation

The described procedures are easy to carry out even at multi-gram scale and do not require complicated handling. The scope of the reactions are also quite broad since a wide range of aryl halides with different functional groups can be efficiently coupled. Furthermore, the Heck arylation conditions are mild, using only a weak base (potassium carbonate) and moderate reaction temperatures. Alternative methods for the preparation of triarylated ketones and diarylated aldehydes,[8] are mainly those which relies on direct palladium-catalysed coupling of carbon nucleophiles (enolates) with aryl halides in the presence of a strong base.[9-12]... 

Another reaction that has been successfully employed as an enantioselective desymmetrization processes is the Heck reaction. The Heck reaction, which is described in more detail in Chapter 19, couples an aryl or vinyl electrophile with an olefin. As shown in Equation 14.19, this reaction can be run as a desymmetrization in which the catalyst reacts preferentially at one of the enantiotopic olefins over the other to generate the intermediate enol that undergoes isomerization to the ketone product. This ketone as formed in 76% yield and 86% enantioselectivity and was an intermediate in the synthesis of vemolepin. ... 

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