Simple palladium(II) precatalyst for Suzuki-Miyaura couplings: efficient reactions of benzylic, aryl, heteroaryl, and vinyl coupling partners.

trans-PdBr(N-Succ)(PPh3)2 (1) is a universally effective precatalyst for Suzuki-Miyaura cross-couplings of benzylic halides with aryl- or heteroarylboronic acids. Substituted aryl halides and halogenated cyclic enones can be cross-coupled with aryl- or vinylboronic acids in excellent yields. Catalyst recycling is also demonstrated.