Nickel-catalyzed Heck reaction of cycloalkenes using aryl sulfonates and pivalates.

Nickel-catalyzed Heck reaction of cycloalkenes delivers unusual conjugated arylated isomers. Nickel(0) catalysts ligated by chelating dialkylphosphines effectively activate not only aryl triflates as electrophiles, but also less reactive aryl mesylates, tosylates and pivalates. The omission of bases allows nickel hydride species to exist long enough to perform in situ olefin isomerization of initial Heck adducts.