Organopalladium chemistry in the '60s and '70s

Abstract

The history of organopalladium chemistry in the 1960s–1970s is briefly outlined. Organopalladium chemistry has a 40 year history. It was born in the late 1950s with the invention of the Wacker process. Inspired by the Wacker reaction, we started our research on Pd chemistry in the early 1960s and discovered the reaction of the PdCl2 complex of COD (cyclooctadiene) with carbonucleophiles, which was the first example of carbon–carbon bond formation by means of a Pd complex. Then we opened the new field of π-allylpalladium chemistry by discovering the reaction of π-allylpalladium chloride with carbonucleophiles. Oxidative carbonylation of alkenes and alkynes mediated by Pd(II) and hydrocarbonylation of alkenes and alkynes catalyzed by Pd(0) were other discoveries made in our laboratory. An account of the development of organopalladium chemistry in our laboratory in the 1960s is presented. In addition, major accomplishments in organopalladium chemistry reported by other groups in the 1960s and 1970s are summarized.