Transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling involving the use of catalysts containing Pd, Ni, Cu, and other d-block transition metals has emerged as a collectively highly useful, selective, and widely applicable method for synthesizing a wide range of organic compounds through highly selective cross-coupling via C–C bond formation. Aside from earlier brief reviews published in the 1970s and early 1980s1 a massive compilation of this important subject was first published in 2002.2 Just a few years later, this publication was updated and significantly supplemented by de Meijere and Diederich in 2004,3 and again in 2014 by de Meijere and his associates.4 These facts simply point to the extraordinary fundamental significance of cross-coupling in organic synthesis.
We now have a welcome addition to the above-mentioned impressive and massive collection entitled “New Trends in Cross-Coupling: Theory and Applications”, edited by T. J. Colacot at Johnson Matthey Catalysis & Chiral Technologies, USA. He and his associates have also written the first three fundamentally important chapters.
As indicated by the title, it focuses its attention on new trends in cross-coupling, thereby distinguishing itself from the others mentioned above.
It consists of 16 chapters. Most impressively, well over 3000 references mostly on new subjects for cross-coupling are cited, making this compilation a “must” for anyone interested in learning about and using newer trends in cross-coupling. Specifically, the following topics are ably discussed: Introduction to New Trends in Cross-Coupling (Chapter 1), Prominent Ligand Types in Modern Cross-Coupling (Chapter 2), Pd-Phosphine Precatalysts (Chapter 3), Use of Pd N-Heterocyclic Carbene (Pd-NHC) Complexes (Chapter 4), Ancillary Ligand Design for Challenging Selective Monoarylation (Chapter 5), Transition Metal-Catalyzed Formation of C–O and C–S Bonds (Chapter 6), Pd(0)-Catalyzed Carboiodination (Chapter 7), Boron Reagents in Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling (Chapter 8), The Modern Heck Reactions (Chapter 9), Palladium-Catalyzed Carbonylative-Coupling (Chapter 10), Stereospecific and Stereoselective Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Coupling Reactions (Chapter 11), Direct Arylation via C–H Activation (Chapter 12), Cross-Coupling Chemistry in Continuous Flow (Chapter 13), Green Approaches to Cross-Coupling (Chapter 14), Recent Large-Scale Applications of Transition Metal-Catalyzed Couplings for the Synthesis of Pharmaceuticals (Chapter 15), and Palladium Detection Technologies for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Prepared via Cross-Couplings (Chapter 16).
Inasmuch as this compilation focuses its attention on newer trends in cross-coupling, it would be useful to explicitly remind the readers of earlier compilations, such as references 1–4.
Ei-ichi Negishi
About Ei-ichi Negishi
Professor Negishi was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry “for palladium catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis” jointly with Professors Richard F. Heck and Akira Suzuki. He is a distinguished Professor of Organic Chemistry & Teijin Limited Director of the Negishi-Brown Institute at Purdue University and the inventor of Negishi Coupling.
