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The Overhauser effect (OE), commonly observed in NMR spectra of liquids and conducting solids, was recently discovered in insulating solids doped with the radical 1,3-bisdiphenylene-2-phenylallyl (BDPA). However, the mechanism of polarization transfer in OE-DNP in insulators is yet to be established, but hyperfine coupling of the radical to protons in BDPA has been proposed. In this paper we present a study that addresses the role of hyperfine couplings via the EPR and DNP measurements on some selectively deuterated BDPA radicals synthesized for this purpose. Newly developed synthetic routes enable selective deuteration at orthogonal positions or perdeuteration of the fluorene moieties with 2 H incorporation of >93%. The fluorene moieties were subsequently used to synthesize two octadeuterated BDPA radicals, 1,3-[α,γ- d 8 ]-BDPA and 1,3-[β,δ- d 8 ]-BDPA, and a BDPA radical with perdeuterated fluorene moieties, 1,3-[α,β,γ,δ- d 16 ]-BDPA. In contrast to the strong positive OE enhancement observed in degassed samples of fully protonated h 21 -BDPA (ε ∼ +70), perdeuteration of the fluorenes results in a negative enhancement (ε ∼ -13), while selective deuteration of α- and γ-positions ( a iso ∼ 5.4 MHz) in BDPA results in a weak negative OE enhancement (ε ∼ -1). Furthermore, deuteration of β- and δ-positions ( a iso ∼ 1.2 MHz) results in a positive OE enhancement (ε ∼ +36), albeit with a reduced magnitude relative to that observed in fully protonated BDPA. Our results clearly show the role of the hyperfine coupled α and γ 1 H spins in the BDPA radical in determining the dominance of the zero and double-quantum cross-relaxation pathways and the polarization-transfer mechanism to the bulk matrix.

A photoinduced palladium-catalyzed 1,2-carbofunctionalization of conjugated dienes has been developed. This mild modular approach, which does not require employment of exogeneous photosensitizers and external oxidants, allows for efficient and highly regio- and stereoselective synthesis of a broad range of allylic amines from readily available 1,3-dienes, alkyl iodides, and amines. Employment of O- and C-nucleophiles toward oxyalkylation and dialkylation products was also demonstrated. A putative π-allyl palladium radical-polar crossover path is proposed as a key event in this three-component coupling process. The utility of this protocol is highlighted by its application for derivatization of several amine-containing drugs.

We report a chiral-squaramide-catalyzed enantio- and diastereoselective synthesis of α-allyl amino esters. The optimized protocol provides access to N -carbamoyl-protected amino esters via nucleophilic allylation of readily accessible α-chloro glycinates. A variety of useful α-allyl amino esters were prepared, including crotylated products bearing vicinal stereocenters that are inaccessible through enolate alkylation, with high enantioselectivity (up to 97% ee) and diastereoselectivity (>10:1). The reactions display first-order kinetic dependence on both the α-chloro glycinate and the nucleophile, consistent with rate-limiting C-C bond formation. Computational analysis of the uncatalyzed reaction predicts an energetically inaccessible iminium intermediate, and a lower energy concerted S N 2 mechanism.

Iridium complexes modified by the chiral phosphine ligand PhanePhos catalyze the 2-propanol-mediated reductive coupling of diverse 1,1-disubstituted allenes 1a-1u with fluoral hydrate 2a to form CF 3 -substituted secondary alcohols 3a-3u that incorporate acyclic quaternary carbon-containing stereodiads. By exploiting concentration-dependent stereoselectivity effects related to the interconversion of kinetic ( Z)- and thermodynamic ( E)-σ-allyliridium isomers, adducts 3a-3u are formed with complete levels of branched regioselectivity and high levels of anti-diastereo- and enantioselectivity. The utility of this method for construction of CF 3 -oxetanes and CF 3 -azetidines is illustrated by the formation of 4a and 6a, respectively. Studies of the reaction mechanism aimed at illuminating the singular effectiveness of PhanePhos as a supporting ligand in this and related transformations have led to the identification of a chromatographically stable cyclometalated iridium-( R)-PhanePhos complex, Ir-PP-I, that is catalytically competent for allene-fluoral reductive coupling and previously reported transfer hydrogenative C-C couplings of dienes or CF 3 -allenes with methanol. Deuterium labeling studies, reaction progress kinetic analysis (RPKA) and computational studies corroborate a catalytic mechanism involving rapid allene hydrometalation followed by turnover-limiting carbonyl addition. A computationally determined stereochemical model shows that the ortho-CH 2 group of the cyclometalated iridium-PhanePhos complex plays a key role in directing diastereo- and enantioselectivity. The collective data provide key insights into the structural-interactional features of allyliridium complexes required to enforce nucleophilic character, which should inform the design of related cyclometalated catalysts for umpoled allylation.

A Rh-catalyzed enantioselective hydroamination of allylamines using a chiral BIPHEP-type ligand is reported. Enantioenriched 1,2-diamines are formed in good yields and with excellent enantioselectivities. A diverse array of nucleophiles and amine directing groups are demonstrated, including deprotectable motifs. Finally, the methodology was demonstrated toward the rapid synthesis of 2-methyl-moclobemide.

We report a Pd-catalyzed intermolecular hydrophosphinylation of 1,3-dienes to afford chiral allylic phosphine oxides. Commodity dienes and air stable phosphine oxides couple to generate organophosphorus building blocks with high enantio- and regiocontrol. This method constitutes the first asymmetric hydrophosphinylation of dienes.

We report the development of Pd(II)/ cis-aryl sulfoxide-oxazoline ( cis-ArSOX) catalysts for asymmetric C-H alkylation of terminal olefins with a variety of synthetically versatile nucleophiles. The modular, tunable, and oxidatively stable ArSOX scaffold is key to the unprecedented broad scope and high enantioselectivity (37 examples, avg. > 90% ee). Pd(II)/ cis-ArSOX is unique in its ability to effect high reactivity and catalyst-controlled diastereoselectivity on the alkylation of aliphatic olefins. We anticipate that this new chiral ligand class will find use in other transition metal catalyzed processes that operate under oxidative conditions.

Enantioselectivity increases with increasing carbonyl electrophilicity in 2-propanol-mediated reductive couplings of aldehydes with branched aryl-substituted allylic acetates to form products of carbonyl anti-(α-aryl)allylation. This unusual phenomenon is caused by aldehyde coordination to diastereomeric kinetic vs thermodynamic carbonyl binding sites that deliver enantiomeric products. Exploiting this effect, anti-diastereo- and enantioselective (α-aryl)allylations of fluoral hydrate and difluoroacetaldehyde ethyl hemiacetal were developed.

In the presence of a neutral dppf-modified iridium catalyst and Cs 2 CO 3 , linear allylic acetates react with primary amines to form products of hydroamination with complete 1,3-regioselectivity. The collective data, including deuterium labeling studies, corroborate a catalytic mechanism involving rapid, reversible acetate-directed aminoiridation with inner-sphere/outer-sphere crossover followed by turnover-limiting proto-demetalation mediated by amine.

Vinylcyclopropanes (VCPs) are known to generate 1,3-dipoles with a palladium catalyst that initially serve as nucleophiles to undergo [3 + 2] cycloadditions with electron-deficient olefins. In this report, we reverse this reactivity and drive the 1,3-dipoles to serve as electrophiles by employing 3-alkylated indoles as nucleophiles. This represents the first use of VCPs for the completely atom-economic functionalization of 3-substituted 1 H-indoles and tryptophan derivatives via a Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation (Pd-AAA). Excellent yields and high chemo-, regio-, and enantioselectivities have been realized, providing various indolenine and indoline products. The method is amenable to gram scale and works efficiently with tryptophan derivatives that contain a diketopiperazine or diketomorpholine ring, allowing us to synthesize mollenine A in a rapid and ligand-controlled fashion. The obtained indolenine products bear an imine, an internal olefin, and a malonate motif, giving multiple sites with diverse reactivities for product diversification. Complicated polycyclic skeletons can be conveniently constructed by leveraging this unique juxtaposition of functional groups.

This report details a palladium-catalyzed process to access highly functionalized, optically active allylic aryl ethers. A number of electron-deficient alkenyl triflates underwent enantioselective and site-selective coupling with acyclic aryl enol ethers in the presence of a chiral palladium catalyst. This transform provides chiral allylic ether products in high yields and excellent enantiomeric ratios, furnishing a unique disconnection to incorporate heteroatoms at a stereocenter. Finally, the applicability of the products to target synthesis was demonstrated through the formation of a chiral allylic alcohol and the generation of a flavone-inspired product.

Cross-coupling of nitrogen with hydrocarbons under fragment coupling conditions stands to significantly impact chemical synthesis. Herein, we disclose a C(sp 3 )-N fragment coupling reaction between terminal olefins and N-triflyl protected aliphatic and aromatic amines via Pd(II)/SOX (sulfoxide-oxazoline) catalyzed intermolecular allylic C-H amination. A range of (56) allylic amines are furnished in good yields (avg. 75%) and excellent regio- and stereoselectivity (avg. >20:1 linear:branched, >20:1 E: Z). Mechanistic studies reveal that the SOX ligand framework is effective at promoting functionalization by supporting cationic π-allyl Pd.

We describe a fully stereodivergent synthesis of a range of α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids via an Ir/Cu-catalyzed α-allylation of readily available imine esters. The introduction of a Cu-Phox complex-activated imine ester into the chiral iridium-catalyzed allylic allylation process is crucial for its high reactivity and excellent enantio- and diastereoselectivity (up to >99% ee and >20:1 dr). Importantly, the two chiral catalysts allow for full control over the configuration of the stereocenters, affording all stereoisomers of the desired products. The utility of this methodology was demonstrated by synthesizing dipeptides and analogues of bioactive molecules in a stereodivergent manner.

We report stereodivergent allylic substitution reactions of allylic esters with prochiral enolates derived from azaaryl acetamides and acetates to form products from addition of the enolates at the most substituted carbon of an allyl moiety with two catalysts, a chiral metallacyclic iridium complex and a chiral bisphosphine-ligated copper(I) complex, which individually control the configuration of the electrophilic and nucleophilic carbon atoms, respectively. By simple permutations of enantiomers of the two catalysts, all four stereoisomers of products containing two stereogenic centers were synthesized individually with high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity. A variety of azaaryl acetamides and acetates bearing pyridyl, benzothiazolyl, benzoxazolyl, pyrazinyl, quinolinyl and isoquinolinyl moieties were all found to be suitable for this transformation.

An asymmetric Ni-catalyzed reductive cross-coupling has been developed to prepare enantioenriched allylic silanes. This enantioselective reductive alkenylation proceeds under mild conditions and exhibits good functional group tolerance. The chiral allylic silanes prepared here undergo a variety of stereospecific transformations, including intramolecular Hosomi-Sakurai reactions, to set vicinal stereogenic centers with excellent transfer of chirality.

A copper-catalyzed three-component linchpin coupling method for the stereoselective union of readily available epoxides and allyl electrophiles is disclosed. Transformations employ [B(pin)] 2 -methane as a conjunctive reagent, resulting in the formation of two C-C bonds at a single carbon center bearing a C(sp 3 ) organoboron functional group. Products are obtained in 42-99% yield, and up to >20:1 dr. The utility of the approach is highlighted by stereospecific transformations entailing allylation, tandem cross coupling, and application to the synthesis 1,3-polyol motifs.

We report a Rh-catalyzed hydroamination of 1,3-dienes to generate homoallylic amines. Our work showcases the first case of anti-Markovnikov selectivity in the intermolecular coupling of amines and 1,3-dienes. By tuning the ligand properties and Brønsted acid additive, we find that a combination of rac-BINAP and mandelic acid is critical for achieving anti-Markovnikov selectivity.

We report a stereoselective and site-specific allylic alkylation of Schiff base activated amino acids and small peptides via a Pd/Cu dual catalysis. A range of noncoded α,α-dialkyl α-amino acids were easily synthesized in high yields and with excellent enantioselectivities (up to >99% ee). Furthermore, a direct and highly stereoselective synthesis of small peptides with enantiopure α-alkyl or α,α-dialkyl α-amino acids residues incorporated at specific sites was accomplished using this dual catalyst system.

We report a divergent and modular protocol for the preparation of acyclic molecular frameworks containing newly created quaternary carbon stereocenters. Central to this approach is a sequence composed of a (1) regioselective and -retentive preparation of allyloxycarbonyl-trapped fully substituted stereodefined amide enolates and of a (2) enantioselective palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative allylic alkylation reaction using a novel bisphosphine ligand.

Cobalt(II)-based metalloradical catalysis has been successfully applied to radical bicyclization of allyl azidoformates to construct aziridine/oxazolidinone-fused bicyclic structures. The Co(II) complex of D 2 -symmetric chiral amidoporphyrin 3,5-Di t Bu-QingPhyrin has been identified as an effective metalloradical catalyst for the intramolecular radical aziridination of this type of carbonyl azides, allowing for high-yielding formation of synthetically useful chiral [3.1.0]-bicyclic aziridines with high diastereo- and enantioselectivity.

We report a method for the catalytic, enantioselective intermolecular addition of aliphatic amines to acyclic 1,3-dienes. In most cases, reactions proceed efficiently at or below room temperature in the presence of 5 mol % of a Pd catalyst bearing a PHOX ligand, generating allylic amines in up to 97:3 er. The presence of an electron-deficient phosphine within the ligand not only leads to a more active catalyst but also is critical for achieving high site selectivity in the transformation.

We describe a method for the site-selective construction of a C(aryl)-C(sp 3 ) bond by the palladium-catalyzed direct allylation of arenes with allylic pivalates in the presence of AgOPiv to afford the linear (E)-allylated arene with excellent regioselectivity; this reaction occurs with arenes that have not undergone site-selective and stereoselective direct allylation previously, such as monofluorobenzenes and non-fluorinated arenes. Mechanistic studies indicate that AgOPiv ligated by a phosphine reacts with the arene to form an arylsilver(I) species, presumably through a concerted metalation-deprotonation pathway. The activated aryl moiety is then transferred to an allylpalladium(II) intermediate formed by oxidative addition of the allylic pivalate to the Pd(0) complex. Subsequent reductive elimination furnishes the allyl-aryl coupled product. The aforementioned proposed intermediates, including an arylsilver complex, have been isolated, structurally characterized, and determined to be chemically and kinetically competent to undergo the proposed elementary steps of the catalytic cycle.

The enantioselective, intermolecular hydroallylation of vinylarenes employing allylic phosphate electrophiles has been achieved through a copper hydride catalyzed process. The protocol described herein can be applied to a diverse set of vinylarene substrates and allows for the installation of the parent allyl group as well as a range of 2-substituted allylic fragments.

A cooperative Cu/Pd-catalyzed asymmetric three-component reaction of styrenes, B2(pin)2, and allyl carbonates was reported. This reaction, in the presence of chiral CuOAc/SOP and achiral Pd(dppf)Cl2 catalysts, occurs smoothly with high enantioselectivities (up to 97% ee) . The allylboration products, which contain alkene (or diene) unite and alkylboron group, are easily functionalized. The utility of this protocol was demonstrated through the synthesis of an antipsychotic drug, (-)-preclamol.

The enol silanes of vinylogous esters and amides are classic dienes for Diels-Alder reactions. Here, we report their reactivity as nucleophiles in Ir-catalyzed, enantioselective allylic substitution reactions. A variety of allylic carbonates react with these nucleophiles to give allylated products in good yields with high enantioselectivities and excellent branched-to-linear ratios. These reactions occur with KF or alkoxide as the additive, but mechanistic studies suggest that these additives do not activate the enol silanes. Instead, they serve as bases to promote the cyclometalation to generate the active Ir catalyst. The carbonate anion, which was generated from the oxidative addition of the allylic carbonate, likely activates the enol silanes to trigger their activity as nucleophiles for reactions with the allyliridium electrophile. The synthetic utility of this method was illustrated by the synthesis of the anti-muscarinic drug, fesoterodine.

Tsuji-Trost-type asymmetric allylation of carboxylic acids has been realized by using a cationic CpRu complex with an axially chiral picolinic acid-type ligand (Cl-Naph-PyCOOH: naph = naphthyl, py = pyridine). The carboxylic acid and allylic alcohol intramolecularly condense by the liberation of water without stoichiometric activation of either nucleophile or electrophile part, thereby attaining high atom- and step-economy, and low E factor. This success can be ascribed to the higher reactivity of allylic alcohols as compared with the allyl ester products in soft Ru/hard Brønstead acid combined catalysis, which can function under slightly acidic conditions unlike the traditional Pd-catalyzed system. Detailed analysis of the stereochemical outcome of the reaction using an enantiomerically enriched D-labeled substrate provides an intriguing view of enantioselection.

We report copper-catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenative carboxylation (ODC) of unactivated alkanes with various substituted benzoic acids to produce the corresponding allylic esters. Spectroscopic studies (EPR, UV-vis) revealed that the resting state of the catalyst is [(BPI)Cu(O2CPh)] (1-O2CPh), formed from [(BPI)Cu(PPh3)2], oxidant, and benzoic acid. Catalytic and stoichiometric reactions of 1-O2CPh with alkyl radicals and radical probes imply that C-H bond cleavage occurs by a tert-butoxy radical. In addition, the deuterium kinetic isotope effect from reactions of cyclohexane and d12-cyclohexane in separate vessels showed that the turnover-limiting step for the ODC of cyclohexane is C-H bond cleavage. To understand the origin of the difference in products formed from copper-catalyzed amidation and copper-catalyzed ODC, reactions of an alkyl radical with a series of copper-carboxylate, copper-amidate, and copper-imidate complexes were performed. The results of competition experiments revealed that the relative rate of reaction of alkyl radicals with the copper complexes follows the trend Cu(II)-amidate > Cu(II)-imidate > Cu(II)-benzoate. Consistent with this trend, Cu(II)-amidates and Cu(II)-benzoates containing more electron-rich aryl groups on the benzamidate and benzoate react faster with the alkyl radical than do those with more electron-poor aryl groups on these ligands to produce the corresponding products. These data on the ODC of cyclohexane led to preliminary investigation of copper-catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenative amination of cyclohexane to generate a mixture of N-alkyl and N-allylic products.

Biological systems have long recognized the importance of macromolecular diversity and have evolved efficient processes for the rapid synthesis of sequence-defined biopolymers. However, achieving sequence control via synthetic methods has proven to be a difficult challenge. Herein we describe efforts to circumvent this difficulty via the use of orthogonal allyl acrylamide building blocks and a liquid-phase fluorous support for the de novo design and synthesis of sequence-specific polymers. We demonstrate proof-of-concept via synthesis and characterization of two sequence-isomeric 10-mer polymers. (1)H NMR and LCMS were used to confirm their chemical structure while tandem MS was used to confirm sequence identity. Further validation of this methodology was provided via the successful synthesis of a sequence-specific 16-mer polymer incorporating nine different monomers. This strategy thus shows promise as an efficient approach for the assembly of sequence-specific functional polymers.

A carbodicarbene (CDC)-based pincer ligand scaffold is reported, along with its application to site-selective Rh(I)-catalyzed intermolecular hydroamination of 1,3-dienes with aryl and alkyl amines. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of the use of a well-defined CDC complex as an efficient catalyst. Transformations proceed in the presence of 1.0-5.0 mol % Rh complex at 35-120 °C; allylic amines are obtained in up to 97% yield and with >98:2 site selectivity.

The first regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselective allylic alkylation of acyclic β-ketoesters to form vicinal tertiary and all-carbon quaternary stereocenters is reported. Critical to the successful development of this method was the employment of iridium catalysis in concert with N-aryl-phosphoramidite ligands. Broad functional group tolerance is observed at the keto-, ester-, and α-positions of the nucleophile. Various transformations demonstrating the utility of this method for rapidly accessing complex enantioenriched compounds are reported.

The combination of a palladium complex with a chiral phosphoramidite ligand and a chiral phosphoric acid enables the first highly efficient asymmetric allylic alkylation of pyrazol-5-ones with allylic alcohols, affording multiply functionalized heterocyclic products in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities that would be of great potential in the synthesis of pharmaceutically interesting molecules.

A Cu(I)-phosphoramidite-based catalytic system that allows asymmetric allyl-allyl cross-coupling with high enantioselectivity is reported. This transformation tolerates a large variety of functionalized substrates. The versatility of this new reaction is illustrated in the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of the Martinelline alkaloids chromene derivative core.

We report a highly diastereo- and enantioselective allylation of azlactones catalyzed by the combination of a metallacyclic iridium complex and an optically inactive phosphate anion. The process demonstrates an approach for conducting diastereoselective reactions with prochiral nucleophiles in the presence of metallacyclic allyliridium complexes. The reaction provides access to an array of enantioenriched allylated azlactones containing adjacent tertiary and quaternary carbon centers. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that the phosphate and methyl carbonate anions together induce the unusually high diastereoselectivity.

The synthesis and characterization of the air-stable nickel(II) complex trans-(PCy(2)Ph)(2)Ni(o-tolyl)Cl is described in conjunction with an investigation of its use for the Mizoroki-Heck-type, room temperature, internally selective coupling of substituted benzyl chlorides with terminal alkenes. This reaction, which employs a terminal alkene as an alkenylmetal equivalent, provides rapid, convergent access to substituted allylbenzene derivatives in high yield and with regioselectivity greater than 95:5 in nearly all cases. The reaction is operationally simple, can be carried out on the benchtop with no purification or degassing of solvents or reagents, and requires no exclusion of air or water during setup. Synthesis of the precatalyst is accomplished through a straightforward procedure that employs inexpensive, commercially available reagents, requires no purification steps, and proceeds in high yield.

An organosilane-directed alkyne-alkene reductive coupling of readily available propargylsilanes is used to access densely functionalized chiral allylsilanes. The divergent reactivity of the allylsilanes can be controlled to afford a range of novel carbocyclic ring systems through an intramolecular allylation, [3+2] annulation, and Sakurai-like homodimerization.

The NH(2) group in primary allylic amines was substituted directly by sulfinate salts with excellent regio- and stereoselectivities. In the presence of 0.1 mol % [Pd(allyl)Cl](2), 0.4 mol % 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane (dppb), and excess boric acid, a range of α-unbranched primary allylic amines were smoothly substituted with sodium sulfinates in an α-selective fashion to give structurally diverse allylic sulfones in good to excellent yields with exclusive E selectivity. Replacing dppb with 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL) allowed unsymmetric α-chiral primary allylic amines to be transformed into the corresponding allylic sulfones in good to excellent yields with excellent retention of ee. Importantly, the reaction complements known asymmetric methods in substrate scope via its unique ability to provide α-chiral allylic sulfones with high optical purity starting from unsymmetric allylic electrophiles.

A highly efficient and enantioselective Ir-catalyzed hydrogenation of unsaturated sulfones was developed. Chiral cyclic and acyclic sulfones were produced in excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee). Coupled with the Ramberg-Bäcklund rearrangement, this reaction offers a novel route to chiral allylic and homoallylic compounds in excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97% ee) and high yields (up to 94%).

The rhodium-catalyzed regio- and enantioselective amination of racemic tertiary allylic trichloroacetimidates with a variety of aniline nucleophiles is a direct and efficient route to chiral α,α-disubstituted allylic N-arylamines. We describe the first dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformations of racemic tertiary allylic electrophiles with anilines utilizing a chiral diene-ligated rhodium catalyst. The method allows for the formation of α,α-disubstituted allylic N-arylamines in moderate to good yields with good to excellent levels of regio- and enantioselectivity.

Copper-mediated allylic substitution reactions are widely used in organic synthesis, whereas the analogous reactions for silver and gold are essentially unknown. To unravel why this is the case, the gas-phase reactions of allyl iodide with the coinage metal dimethylmetallates, [CH(3)MCH(3)](-) (M = Cu, Ag and Au), were examined under the near thermal conditions of an ion trap mass spectrometer and via electronic structure calculations. [CH(3)CuCH(3)](-) reacted with allyl iodide with a reaction efficiency of 6.6% of the collision rate to yield: I(-) (75%); the cross-coupling product, [CH(3)CuI](-) (24%); and the homo-coupling product, [C(3)H(5)CuI](-) (1%). [CH(3)AgCH(3)](-) and [CH(3)AuCH(3)](-) reacted substantially slower (reaction efficiencies of 0.028% and 0.072%). [CH(3)AgCH(3)](-) forms I(-) (19%) and [CH(3)AgI](-) (81%), while only I(-) is formed from [CH(3)AuCH(3)](-). Because the experiments do not detect the neutral product(s) formed, which might otherwise help identify the mechanisms of reaction, and to rationalize the observed ionic products and reactivity order, calculations at the B3LYP/def2-QZVP//B3LYP/SDD6-31+G(d) level were conducted on four different mechanisms: (i) S(N)2; (ii) S(N)2'; (iii) oxidative-addition/reductive elimination (OA/RE) via an M(III) η(3)-allyl intermediate; and (iv) OA/RE via an M(III) η(1)-allyl intermediate. For copper, mechanisms (iii) and (iv) are predicted to be competitive. Only the Cu(III) η(3)-allyl intermediate undergoes reductive elimination via two different transition states to yield either the cross-coupling or the homo-coupling products. Their relative barriers are consistent with homo-coupling being a minor pathway. For silver, the kinetically most probable pathway is the S(N)2 reaction, consistent with no homo-coupling product, [C(3)H(5)AgI](-), being observed. For gold, no C-C coupling reaction is kinetically viable. Instead, I(-) is predicted to be formed along with a stable Au(III) η(3)-allyl complex. These results clearly highlight the superiority of organocuprates in allylic substitution reactions.

Nickel-catalyzed intermolecular benzylation and heterobenzylation of unactivated alkenes to provide functionalized allylbenzene derivatives are described. A wide range of both the benzyl chloride and alkene coupling partners are tolerated. In contrast to analogous palladium-catalyzed variants of this process, all reactions described herein employ electronically unbiased aliphatic olefins (including ethylene), proceed at room temperature, and provide 1,1-disubstituted olefins over the more commonly observed 1,2-disubstituted olefins with very high selectivity.

An efficient copper-catalyzed allylic trifluoromethylation reaction has been developed. This reaction provides a general and straightforward way to synthesize allylic trifluoromethylated compounds under mild conditions.

This report describes the Pd(0)-catalyzed fluorination of linear allylic chlorides and bromides, yielding branched allylic fluorides in high selectivity. Many of the significant synthetic limitations previously associated with the preparation of these products are overcome by this catalytic method. We also demonstrate that a chiral bisphosphine-ligated palladium catalyst enables highly enantioselective access to a class of branched allylic fluorides that can be readily diversified to valuable fluorinated products.

The enantioconvergent hydroboration of racemic allenylstannane (±)-1 with ((d)Ipc)(2)BH converts both enantiomers of (±)-1 into the enantioenriched crotylborane (S)-E-3. Subsequent crotylboration of aldehydes with (S)-E-3 provides (E)-stannyl-homoallylic alcohols 5 in good yields and with excellent enantioselectivity.

A new method for the preparation of a wide range of branched allylic esters from terminal alkynes that proceeds via a redox-neutral propargylic CH activation employing a rhodium(I)/DPEphos catalyst is reported.

We present a 6-NHC-Cu(I) complex that provides α-substituted allylboronates using allylic aryl ether substrates. The method was discovered by comparison of the chemoselectivities exhibited by complexes 1a, 1b, 2, and 3. We observed that 1a preferentially reacts with electron-rich alkenes over electron-deficient alkenes. Development of an asymmetric method revealed that 1b reacts with both the E and Z isomers to provide the same absolute configuration without showing E-Z isomerization. This stereoconvergent reaction occurs with high yields (av 86%), high S(N)2' selectivity (>99:1), and high ee (av 94%) and exhibits wide functional-group tolerance using pure E or Z isomer or E/Z alkene mixtures. The stereoconvergent feature enables the use of many different olefination strategies for substrate production, including cross-metathesis. Chiral allylboronates could be purified by silica gel chromatography and stored in the freezer without decomposition.

The enantioselective fluorination of readily available cyclic allylic chlorides with AgF has been accomplished using a Pd(0) catalyst and Trost bisphosphine ligand. The reactions proceed with unprecedented ease of operation for Pd-mediated nucleophilic fluorination, allowing access to highly enantioenriched cyclic allylic fluorides that bear diverse functional groups. Evidence that supports a mechanism in which C-F bond formation occurs by an S(N)2-type attack of fluoride on a Pd(II)-allyl intermediate is presented.

A stereospecific allylic amination of unactivated secondary (secondary)-allylic alcohols is reported. The primary (primary)-allylic amine can be isolated directly or protected in situ. Spectroscopic studies have shed light on the structure of the catalytically active Ir x (P,olefin)2I complex.

The Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling of allylic carbonates and allylB(pin) is described. The regioselectivity of this reaction is sensitive to the bite angle of the ligand, with small-bite-angle ligands favoring the branched substitution product. This mode of regioselection is consistent with a reaction that operates by a 3,3' reductive elimination reaction. In the presence of appropriate chiral ligands, this reaction is rendered enantioselective and applies to both aromatic and aliphatic allylic carbonates.

Enantioselective transfer hydrogenation of carbonate 1a in the presence of aromatic, allylic, or aliphatic alcohols 2a-2i employing a cyclometalated iridium C,O-benzoate derived from allyl acetate, 4-cyano-3-nitrobenzoic acid and (S)-SEGPHOS delivers products of (hydroxymethyl)allylation 4a-4i in good isolated yields (60-74%), good anti-diastereoselectivities (5:1-10:1 dr) and exceptional levels of enantiocontrol (93-99% ee). Under identical reaction conditions, but in the presence of isopropanol, aldehydes 3a-3i are converted to an equivalent set of adducts 4a-4i in good isolated yields (58-74%), good anti-diastereoselectivities (4:1-14:1 dr), and exceptional levels of enantiocontrol (95-99% ee). Thus, identical sets of adducts 4a-4i are produced with equal facility from the alcohol or aldehyde oxidation level. These studies represent the first general method for enantioselective carbonyl (hydroxymethyl)allylation, a process that has no highly stereoselective counterpart in conventional allylmetal chemistry.

A catalytic regio- and stereoselective 1,4-hydroboration of 1,3-dienes was accomplished with pinacolborane in the presence of Ni(cod)(2) and PCy(3). This reaction exhibits broad substrate scope operating on a range of substituted dienes and occurs with generally high levels of selectivity and efficiency. Reactivity patterns suggest that the reactive conformation of the diene is the S-cis form. The intermediate allylboronate can be oxidized to stereodefined allylic alcohols or can be used in stereoselective carbonyl addition reactions.