Synthesis of new styrylarenes via Suzuki-Miyaura coupling catalysed by highly active, well-defined palladium catalysts.

An efficient synthetic route for well-defined palladium(0) complexes [Pd(η(2)-dba)(PPh3)2] (2), [Pd(η(2)-dba)(PCy3)2] (3) and their crystallographic structures is reported. This is the first crystallographic characterization of palladium complexes coordinated with one dibenzylideneacetone and two phosphines. A highly effective, fully controlled method for selective synthesis of mono- (5-9) and distyrylarenes (10-15) via Suzuki-Miyaura coupling is described.