Ni(0)-Stilbene Complexes: A solution to more than 60 years of unstable Ni(0) precursors

Since 60 years Ni(COD)2 has revolutionized the field of Ni-catalysis due to its incredible chemical properties. However, its great instability when exposed to air and its temperature sensitivity required complicated techniques. Recently, at the MPI für Kohlenforschung we have developed a series of Ni(0)-stilbene complexes which are stable to air and temperature and can be manipulated in the bench-top without any special equipment. The simplicity of operation is accompanied by the great versatility of these complexes as surrogates of Ni(COD)2 in a plethora of catalytic transformations.