Mechanism of copper-free Sonogashira reaction operates through palladium-palladium transmetallation

The seminal contributions by Sonogashira, Cassar and Heck in mid 1970s on Pd/Cu- and Pd-catalysed (copper-free) coupling of acetylenes with aryl or vinyl halides have evolved in myriad applications. Despite the enormous success both in academia and in industry, however, critical mechanistic questions of this cross-coupling process remain unresolved. In this study, experimental evidence and computational support is provided for the mechanism of copper-free Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction. In contrast to the consensus monometallic mechanism, the revealed pathway proceeds through a tandem Pd/Pd cycle linked via a multistep transmetallation process. This cycle is virtually identical to the Pd/Cu tandem mechanism of copper co-catalysed Sonogashira cross-couplings, but the role of Cu(I) is played by a set of Pd(II) species. Phosphine dissociation from the square-planar reactants to form transient three-coordinate Pd species initiates transmetallation and represents the rate-determining step of the process.