The promoting effect of pyridine ligands in the Pd-catalysed Heck-Matsuda reaction

An efficient Pd-catalyzed arylation reaction of challenging acyclic olefins, in the presence of an organic ligand, has been disclosed. Commercially available cheap pyridine-based ligands are able to promote good to excellent yields for poorly efficient Heck-Matsuda arylation reactions of several allylic alcohols. A wide range of electronically different arenediazonium salts bearing either electron-releasing or withdrawing groups have been used allowing the synthesis of a range of beta-aryl-methoxy-lactols. The catalytic system has been optimised, along with the reaction conditions, in order to achieve remarkable yields in less than 1 h.