Intramolecular Coupling of Allyl Carboxylates with Allyl Stannanes and Allyl Silanes: A New Type of Reductive Elimination Reaction?

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Abstract
The palladium-catalyzed intramolecular coupling of allyl stannanes with allyl carboxylates provides a general synthesis of five- and six-membered-ring carbocycles. The intramolecular coupling leads selectively to trans five-membered carbocycles and cis six-membered carbocycles, regardless of the cis or trans configuration of the allylic functions in the starting material. For example, the stereoselective synthesis of 10-epi-elemol demonstrated the cis configuration of the six-membered carbocycles. The related Oppolzer cyclization leads to lower yields, or fails completely, with substrates substituted at C-3 of the allyl and/or alkene terminus. The palladium-catalyzed intramolecular coupling of allyl silanes with allyl trifluoroacetates allows the synthesis of trans five-membered-ring carbocycles and requires the use of a bicyclic phosphite as the ligand. DFT calculations suggest that the preferred pathway for the intramolecular allyl/allyl coupling is by formation of the CC bond between the C-3 termini of the allyl ligands of bis(η3-allyl)palladium complexes.