Palladium-catalyzed reductive carbonylation of aryl halides represents a straightforward pathway for the synthesis of aromatic aldehydes. The known reductive carbonylation procedures either require CO gas or complexed compounds as CO sources. In this communication, we developed a palladium-catalyzed reductive carbonylation of aryl iodides with formic acid as the formyl source. As a convenient, practical, and environmental friendly methodology, no additional silane or H2 was required. A variety of aromatic aldehydes were isolated in moderate to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions. Notably, this is the first procedure on using formic acid as the formyl source.

An efficient palladium-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation of aryl halides with phenols has been developed. Various aryl benzoates have been isolated in good to excellent yields with formic acid as the CO source.

A rhodium-catalyzed carbonylative transformation of alkyl halides under low pressure of CO has been developed. This robust catalyst system allows using phenols as the carbonylative coupling partner and, meanwhile, exhibits high functional group tolerance and good chemoselectivity. Substrates even with a large steric hindrance group or multiple reaction sites can be selectively converted into the desired products in good to excellent yields. A gram-scale experiment was performed and delivered an almost quantitative amount of the product. Control experiments were performed as well, and a possible reaction mechanism is proposed.