Heck arylation of acrolein acetals using the 9-bromoanthracene: A case of study

The influence of several parameters on the selectivity of the palladium catalysed Heck coupling of 9-bromoanthracene with acrolein acetals was studied. While the ester is the quasi exclusive product when only a base (i.e. NaOAc, K₂CO₃, etc.) is added in the medium, the presence of halide abstracting agent such as thallium or silver salts decreases noticeably the selectivity towards the ester. On the other hand, the addition of n-Bu₄NOAc yields to the formation of the aldehyde with up to 74% selectivity. The presence of water was found to play a significant role not only on the rate but also on the selectivity of the reaction. A comprehensive mechanism is proposed outlining the influence of each additive, particularly on the selectivity of the reaction.