Background -- Palladium 1,2-migration in the Heck reaction -- Palladium 1,2-migration in the Negishi and Kumada coupling -- Stoichiometric studies on the palladium 1,2-migration -- Heteroaromatic tosylates in the regio-selective Heck reaction -- Cationic intermediates in the Ni(0)-catalyzed Heck reaction -- Carbonylative Heck reaction -- Conclusions.

The work presented in Thomas M. Gøgsig's thesis deals with the discovery of new metal-catalyzed transformations ranging from Kumada-, Heck- and Suzuki-type reactions. The thesis starts with a formidable introduction to Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. New results have been obtained on: (i) Pd-catalyzed 1,2-migration reactions, (ii) Pd-catalyzed Heck reactions employing heteroaromatic tosylates, (iii) Ni-catalyzed Heck reactions, and (iv) Pd-catalyzed carbonylative Heck reactions. Metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions are today a highly competititve field (the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded "for palladium-catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis", the 2001 and 2005 Nobel Prizes in closely related fields). Thomas M. Gøgsig obtained new results in his thesis that will help to improve the outcome of catalytic processes and improve their scope. The results will thus become key references for tomorrow's new applications. All chapters include insightful discussions and in-depth descriptions of the key principles of these new discoveries.