Palladium on charcoal-catalyzed ligand-free Stille coupling

An efficient ligand-free Stille coupling reaction catalyzed by palladium on charcoal was developed. Tetraphenyltin was reacted with a variety of aryl halides including aryl chlorides using LiCl as an additive. The reactions of tributyl organotin compounds with aryl iodides were effectively expedited by the addition of LiF. These reactions efficiently proceeded without a phosphine or arsenic ligand and no leached palladium was detected in the reaction mixture.