Heck coupling reactions vinyl ethers with aryl halides

Blaser and Spencer used aroyl halides in place of aryl halides, with aroyl chlorides being of specific interest as ubiquitous, relatively cheap compounds ( Blaser reaction ) [24], This latter reaction is normally conducted in aromatic solvents phosphines are not used here as catalyst ligands since they fully inhibit the reaction. In the same way, benzoic acid anhydrides can be used as the aryl source in combination with PdCl2 and catalytic amounts of NaBr [79]. In this reaction, one of the arenes is used in the coupling reaction by elimination of CO, whereas the other benzoate serves as the base. The benzoic acid thus formed can easily be recycled into the anhydride. The use of aryl and vinyl triflates according to Cacchi [25] and Stille [26] extends the scope of the Heck coupling to carbonyl compounds phenol derivatives act via triflate functionalization as synthetic equivalents of the aryl halides. The arylation of cyclic alkenes [27], electron-rich vinyl ethers [28], and allylic alcohols [29] is accessible through Heck reactions. Allylic alcohols yield C-C-saturated carbonyl compounds (aldehydes) for mechanistic reasons (y9-H elimination), as exemplified in eq. (6). 

It has been shown that ionic liquids in combination with high temperatures and prolonged reaction times are mandatory in the rrickel catalyzed Heck coupling of aryl bromides and butyl vinyl ether. See Sun L, Pei W, Shen C (2006) J Chem Res 388. For palladium catalyzed Heck reaction of aryl bromides in ionic liquids with added halides. See ref [51]... 

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