Palladium-catalyzed aerobic oxidation reactions have been the focus of industrial application and extensive research efforts for nearly 60 years. A significant transition occurred in this field approximately 20 years ago, with the introduction of catalysts supported by ancillary ligands. The ligands play crucial roles in the reactions, including promotion of direct oxidation of palladium(0) by O, bypassing the typical requirement for Cu salts or related redox cocatalysts to facilitate oxidation of the reduced Pd catalyst; facilitation of key bond-breaking and bond-forming steps during substrate oxidation; and modulation of chemo-, regio-, or stereoselectivity of a reaction. The use of ligands has contributed to significant expansion of the scope of accessible aerobic oxidation reactions. Increased understanding of the role of ancillary ligands should promote the development of new synthetic transformations, enable improved control over the reaction selectivity, and improve catalyst activity and stability. This review surveys the different ligands that have been used to support palladium-catalyzed aerobic oxidation reactions and, where possible, describes mechanistic insights into the role played by the ancillary ligand.

(DAF)Pd(OAc)2 (DAF = 4,5-diazafluorenone) catalyzes aerobic intramolecular aryl C–H amination with N-benzenesulfonyl-2-aminobiphenyl in dioxane to afford the corresponding carbazole product. Mechanistic studies show that the reaction involves in situ generation of peroxide species from 1,4-dioxane and O2, and the reaction further benefits from the presence of glycolic acid, an oxidative decomposition product of dioxane. An induction period observed for the formation of the carbazole product correlates with the formation of 1,4-dioxan-2-hydroperoxide via autoxidation of 1,4-dioxane, and the in situ-generated peroxide is proposed to serve as the reactive oxidant in the reaction. These findings have important implications for the palladium-catalyzed aerobic oxidation reactions conducted in ethereal solvents.

Enantioselective intramolecular oxidative amidation of alkenes has been achieved using a (pyrox)Pd(II)(TFA)2 catalyst (pyrox = pyridine-oxazoline, TFA = trifluoroacetate) and O2 as the sole stoichiometric oxidant. The reactions proceed at room temperature in good-to-excellent yield (58-98%) and with high enantioselectivity (ee = 92-98%). Catalyst-controlled stereoselective cyclization reactions are demonstrated for a number of chiral substrates. DFT calculations suggest that the electronic asymmetry of the pyrox ligand synergizes with steric asymmetry to control the stereochemical outcome of the key amidopalladation step.

A novel stereochemical substrate probe was used to assess the factors that affect the stereochemical course of nucleopalladation (cis vs. trans) in the context of an enantioselective Wacker-type reaction. We demonstrate that the enantioselectivity correlates directly with the nucleopalladation pathway, and both the neutral-donor and anionic ligands on palladium are capable of controlling selectivity for cis or trans nucleopalladation.

Diastereoselective aza-Wacker cyclization of O-allyl hemiaminals under aerobic conditions enables efficient access to 1,2-aminoalcohol derivatives from allylic alcohols. The scope of this method is presented and its utility is highlighted in a streamlined synthesis of the biologically important aminosugar (–)-acosamine.