Efficient Heterogeneously Palladium-Catalysed Synthesis of Stilbenes and Bibenzyls

An alternative heterogeneously palladium catalysed procedure for the synthesis of functional stilbenes and bibenzyls is reported. Starting from aryl bromides and using simple commercially available Pd/C catalyst at a low catalytic rate (1 mol%), stilbenes are obtained with 30-100% GC-yields and bibenzyls are produced in a one-pot fashion with 27-100% GC-yields. The procedure showed, however, some limitations when applied to strongly deactivated aryl bromides that could be in some extent overcome by using corresponding iodo derivatives.