C−C Bond Formation by Dual Pyrrolidine and Nickel Catalysis: Allylation of Ketones by Allylic Alcohols.

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]