S. Brase et al., SYNTHESIS OF O-DIALKENYLBENZENES AND INDENES USING HECK AND OXYPALLADATION REACTIONS, EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, (4), 1998, pp. 671-678
o-Bromostyrenes 2-Br react with various alkenes in the presence of pal
ladium catalysts to give either substituted indene 6 or o-diethenylben
zene derivatives 3, depending on the reaction conditions. Under oxidat
ive conditions the latter can be cyclized to indene derivatives as wel
l.