Synergistic Pd/Cu catalysis has been utilized in the Sonogashira reaction since 1975. However, this strategy has not received much attention from the organic chemist community until recently. Synergistic Pd/Cu catalysis is becoming a proficient method for the development of catalytic reactions, including several new and efficient cross-coupling reactions. Additionally, several challenging asymmetric reactions, including stereodivergent synthesis, have been discovered by the combined use of a chiral metal catalyst and a second achiral metal catalyst or two chiral metal catalysts. This review provides an overview of this field, with the aims of highlighting both the development of synergistic Pd/Cu catalysis in organic synthesis and the reaction mechanisms involved in this research area.
Keywords: Sonogashira reaction; bimetallic catalysis; cross-coupling; stereodivergent synthesis; synergistic Pd/Cu catalysis.
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