Pd/MgO: A Recyclable, Ligand-free Heterogeneous Catalyst for Decarboxylative Cross-Coupling of Arene Carboxylic Acids with Aryl Halides

Decarboxylative coupling of arene carboxylic acids with aryl halides is achieved by using a ligand-free Pd/MgO (0.5 mol% Pd) heterogeneous catalyst system. Both electron-rich and electron-deficient arene carboxylic acids can be used as aryl sources to couple a variety of aryl bromides, even aryl chlorides in moderate-to-excellent yields. The establishment of heterogeneous catalysis for the decarboxylative cross-coupling along with the reusability of the heterogeneous catalyst should facilitate the practical application of this transformation in organic synthesis.