Activation and functionalization of benzylic derivatives by palladium catalysts

Palladium-catalyzed transformations of aryl halides and pseudo-halides involving carbonylation, carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bond-forming reactions, etc. are very well documented, and have already been reviewed several times. The metal-catalyzed activation of benzylic derivatives is much less described. However, during the last decades, a number of papers have shown the interest offered by benzylic derivatives (halides, carbonates, acetates, phosphonates) in selective catalytic reactions for organic synthesis, most of them in the presence of palladium catalysts. The purpose of this tutorial review is to highlight selected examples of palladium-catalyzed transformations involving reactive benzylic derivatives.