A Reusable Palladium/Cationic 2,2′-Bipyridyl System-Catalyzed Double Mizoroki-Heck Reaction in Water

Abstract: A reusable PdCl2(NH3)2/cationic 2,2′-bipyridyl system was used to catalyze the double Mizoroki-Heck reaction of aryl iodides with electron-deficient alkenes in water in the absence of inert gas, giving β,β-diarylated carbonyl derivatives in good to excellent yields. The formation of unsymmetrical β,β-diarylated alkenes were also studied by coupling aryl iodides with the corresponding aryl-substituted α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. This water-soluble catalyst can be swiftly separated from the organic layer using simple extraction for the further reuse, and, thus, makes it an operationally-simple and environmentally-benign procedure.