Organic-soluble complex for catalysis of a variety of reactions, with the advantage over trans-Bis(benzonitrile)-dichloropalladium(II)-, that the nitrile by-product, being volatile and water-miscible, is readily removed in the workup. In the presence of triethylamine, ortho-allylanilines undergo cyclization to indoles: J. Am. Chem. Soc., 98, 2674 (1976).A 6:1 molar ratio of the high-temperature phase-transfer catalyst Tetraphenyl-phosphonium chloride, and the Pd complex, provides an effective catalyst for the Heck reaction of normally unreactive aryl halides, e.g. chlorobenzene with styrene to give stilbene. The reaction is performed at 140-150o in DMF or NMP in the presence of sodium acetate: Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 37, 481 (1997).
