Stereospecific palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of (E)- and (Z)-alkenylsilanolates with aryl chlorides

The cross-coupling of geometrically defined (E)- and (Z)-alkenyl- and styrylsilanolates with a wide variety of aromatic and heteroaromatic chlorides has been achieved. Under catalysis by bulky, biphenyl-derived phosphines and allylpalladium chloride, the (preformed, stable) potassium salts of di-, tri- and tetrasubstituted alkenyldimethylsilanols undergo high yielding and highly stereospecific coupling to aryl chlorides in THF or dioxane. A variety of functional groups are compatible with these reaction conditions including nitro, ester, ketone, and nitrile. Both (E)- and (Z)-alkenylsilanolates coupled with nearly identical rate and efficiency.