Highly Regioselective Palladium-Catalyzed Carboxylation of Allylic Alcohols with CO2.

Various allylic alcohols were carboxylated in the presence of a catalytic amount of PdCl2 and PPh3 using ZnEt2 as a stoichiometric transmetalation agent under a CO2 atmosphere (1 atm). This carboxylation proceeded in a highly regioselective manner to afford branched carboxylic acids predominantly. The β,γ-unsaturated carboxylic acid thus obtained was successfully converted into an optically active γ-butyrolactone, a known intermediate of ( R)-baclofen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]