Table 1.
Evaluation of the reaction conditions 1.

| Entry | Catalyst | Solvent, Base | Temp | Yield 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | XPhos Pd G3 | DMF, K3PO4 | 60 °C | 31% |
| 2 | XPhos Pd G3 | DMF, K3PO4 | 80 °C | 41% |
| 3 | RuPhos Pd G3 | DMF, K3PO4 | 60 °C | 0 % |
| 4 | BINAP Pd G3 | DMF, K3PO4 | 60 °C | 38% |
| 5 | DPPE Pd G3 | DMF, K3PO4 | 60 °C | 16% |
| 6 | DPPPY Pd G3 | DMF, K3PO4 | 60 °C | 77% |
| 7 | DPPPY Pd G3 | DMF, K3PO4 | 80 °C | 89% |
| 8 | DPPPY Pd G3 | DMF, MeOK | 80 °C | 0% |
| 9 | DPPPY Pd G3 | DMF, KHMDS | 80 °C | 28% |
| 10 | DPPPY Pd G3 | DMF, NaOH | 80 °C | 40% |
| 11 | DPPPY Pd G3 | THF, K3PO4 | 80 °C | 20% |
| 11 | DPPPY Pd G3 | Toluene, K3PO4 | 80 °C | 0% |
1 Conditions: L Pd G3 (2 mol%), dimethyl 2-(hex-4-yn-1-yl)malonate (0.100 mmol, 1 equiv.), PhBr (0.150 mmol, 1.5 equiv.), K3PO4 (0.150 mmol, 1.5 equiv.), DMF (0.5 mL), 60–80 °C, 6 h. 2 Determined by GC with mesitylene as an internal standard. Optimal conditions in bold.