Bidentate phosphine ligands in palladium-catalyzed intramolecular Heck reactions of 2-chloroquinolin-3-yl-(1-homoallyl)alcohols are described to afford facile synthesis of 3-methylene-2,3-dihydro-1H-cy-clopenta[b]quinolines in improved yields. We further observed using bulky aromatic phosphine ligand in Pd-catalyzed intermolecular Heck coupling reaction at olefinic centers with iodobenzene also favored exclusively Heck products in excellent yield. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.