Answer
The Heck reaction, named after its discoverer Richard F. Heck, is a palladium-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond-forming reaction involving an aryl or vinyl halide and an alkene or alkyne. It is widely used in organic synthesis for the construction of various carbon-carbon bonds, particularly in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. The reaction proceeds via a catalytic cycle involving oxidative addition, insertion, and reductive elimination steps.