 It coordinates weakly to palladium in an "end-on" fashion, which refers to the linear structure of C–CN–Pd bonds.The linear coordination is proposed to help overcome the high strain in the cyclophane-like pre-transition state that brings palladium to the vicinity of the "meta"-hydrogen.The template is designed as such that the flat arene linker keeps the substrate aromatic ring and the nitrile group coplanar.