Answer
The Heck reaction is a palladium-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond-forming reaction that involves the coupling of an aryl or vinyl halide with 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 palladium(0) and palladium(II) intermediates, and typically requires the presence of a base and a phosphine ligand.