Rhodium-catalyzed Heck-type reaction of arylboronic acids with alpha,beta-unsaturated esters: tuning beta-hydrogen elimination vs. hydrolysis of alkylrhodium species.

The elusive rhodium-catalyzed Heck-type coupling of arylboronic acids with alpha,beta-unsaturated esters is effected using rhodium chloride as catalyst, indicating the hydrolysis of Rh-C bond could be finely tuned by the steric environment around rhodium.