Herein is described an operationally simple process concerning the observation that, following either inter-, or intramolecular Heck olefination, stirring of the so formed substituted alkenyl product under an atmosphere of hydrogen efficiently effects alkene hydrogenation. Overall this two-operation, one-pot "reductive Heck" sequence is notable since direct reductive Heck processes, using additives such as formate salts, are restricted to a limited range of substrates. In total 25 examples are reported (yields ranging from 0 to 95%), which were selected in order to probe the scope and limitations of this method. Finally, the utility of this sequence was demonstrated in a short synthesis of the calcimimetic agent, cinacalcet.

The precise placement of C-substituents on bicyclic and spirocyclic N-heterocycles is readily achieved by the combination of aldehydes and new SnAP reagents. The substituted SnAP reagents are readily prepared from simple starting materials and couple with a variety of aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes at room temperature under operationally simple conditions to deliver substituted morpholine and piperazine products.

The synthesis of (+)-mesembrine (1) and (+)-mesembranol (2) has been achieved from the monoterpene (S)-(-)-perillyl alcohol. Key transformations include a diastereo- and regioselective Pd-mediated intramolecular Heck reaction, and a double reduction of the resultant cyclic sulfonamide, to afford the cis-3a-aryloctahydroindole skeleton.

Described is an observation that the intramolecular Heck reaction of a trisubstituted alkene proceeds with high regioselectivity and leads to the preferential formation of a quaternary all-carbon-centre. This observation was subsequently applied in a short synthesis of (+/-)-mesembrane.

Regioselectivity in the intramolecular Heck reaction of a series of N-sulfonyl-2,5-dihydro-3-substituted pyrroles was studied. These substrates are unbiased in terms of the formed ring size of the new heterocycle. Results indicate that high levels of regioselectivity are observed under a range of conditions, and that there is an underlying propensity for carbon-carbon bond formation at the most hindered end of the alkene. For two examples (3-Me and 3-tBu), DFT calculations were performed and indicate that in both cases, the modelled transition state for carbopalladation is energetically lower for the experimentally preferred isomer.