This
perspective focuses on the mechanistic insights and complexity,
which are difficult to acquire from pure experimental techniques,
of the computational studies of Pd-catalyzed Suzuki, Heck, and Sonogashira
carbon–carbon bond-forming reactions. These reactions consist
of three fundamental steps including oxidative addition (OA), transmetalation
(TM), and reductive elimination (RE) for the generation of carbon–carbon
bonds from the bond-forming reactions of aryl halides (R1X) and organometallic species (R2M). Computational studies
of these coupling reactions allow us to understand specific reaction
pathways in the analysis of OA (resolving the linkage between coordination
number and selectivity in Suzuki reaction), TM (the function of the
base in the Suzuki reaction and various mechanistic options in the
Sonogashira reaction), and RE (way of efficient β-hydride elimination
in the Heck reaction). In addition, the reaction pathways and complexities
in the full catalytic cycle of each reaction along with the future
perspective are also discussed.