Ruthenium complex-catalysed Heck reactions of areneboronic acids; Mechanism, synthesis and halide tolerance

Ruthenium-arene complexes can act as efficient catalysts for the coupling of areneboronic acids with electrophilic alkenes. The chemoselectivity is completely different from palladium coupling, with full tolerance for halogen in the arene. NMR and ES-MS studies have been carried out to elucidate the reaction pathway.