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Whilst catalytic ketone allylation using palladium(0) is well–precedented, nickel(0)‐catalysed equivalents of such reactions remain scarce. We report here the first nickel‐catalysed allylation of ketones which uses an easily handled and inexpensive bench‐stable Ni(II) pre‐catalyst. This method avoids generation of stoichiometric by‐products via the use of readily available allyl alcohols, rather than the esters or related derivatives which are often used in such transformations. Under the optimised conditions, 25 monoallylated ketones were obtained in 16% to 98% yield and with high selectivity for the linear (E)‐isomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The preparation of allylic amines is traditionally accomplished by reactions of amines with reactive electrophiles, such as allylic halides, sulfonates, or oxyphosphonium species; such methods involve hazardous reagents, generate stoichiometric waste streams, and often suffer from side reactions (such as overalkylation). We report here the first broad‐scope nickel‐catalysed direct amination of allyl alcohols: An inexpensive NiII/Zn couple enables the allylation of primary, secondary, and electron‐deficient amines without the need for glove‐box techniques. Under mild conditions, primary and secondary aliphatic amines react smoothly with a range of allyl alcohols, giving secondary and tertiary amines efficiently. This “totally catalytic” method can also be applied to electron‐deficient nitrogen nucleophiles; the practicality of the process was demonstrated in an efficient, gram‐scale preparation of the calcium antagonist drug substance flunarizine (Sibelium®). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A “totally catalytic” nickel(0)‐mediated method for base‐free direct alkylation of allyl alcohols and allyl amines is reported. The reaction is selective for monoallylation, uses an inexpensive NiII precatalyst system, and requires no activating reagents to be present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]