Catalytic C-C coupling reactions

After a short description of the achievements of the three Nobel laureates, R&D issues for the application of Pd coupling reactions in the fine chemicals industry are discussed. In a first part, some background is given on industrial R&D and the role of coupling for preparative applications is described. Thematic approaches to industrial R&D are described and two of these are illustrated with relevant examples from the literature and from our own laboratories: i) Development of catalytic systems with very high turnover numbers; ii) Catalysts and ligands for coupling reactions with aryl chlorides. Finally, four selected Pd catalyzed production processes are briefly described.