Palladium-catalysed regio- and stereoselective arylative substitution of γ,δ-epoxy-α,ß-unsaturated esters and amides by sodium tetraaryl borates.

Palladium-catalysed reactions of γ,δ-epoxy-α,ß-unsaturated esters and amides with NaBAr4 reagents proceeded regio- and stereoselectively, producing allylic homoallyl alcohols with aryl-substituents in the allylic position for a wide range of substrates. AsPh3 was found to be a competent ligand for the arylation reaction, whereas phosphine ligand/Lewis acidic organoboron combinations favoured the substitution reaction by oxygen nucleophiles (e.g. H2O, ROH).

Palladium-Catalyzed Alkoxycarbonylation of Conjugated Enyne Oxiranes: A Diastereoselective Method for the Synthesis of 7-Hydroxy-2,3,5-trienoates.

Palladium-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylative 1,5-substitution of conjugated enyne oxiranes provides a diastereoselective route to (E)-configured 7-hydroxy-2,3,5-trienoates. The reactions proceeded in a highly stereoselective manner, possibly through sequential formation of π-allylpalladium and σ-vinylallenyl palladium complexes. The major diastereomeric form of the product is determined by the configuration of the alkenyl moiety of the substrate.

Regio- and stereoselective synthesis of 2,3,5-trienoates by palladium-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation of conjugated enyne carbonates.

Palladium-catalyzed carbonylation of 2,4-enyne carbonates in an alcohol and under balloon pressure of CO proceeds through 1,5-substitution to yield (E)-2,3,5-trienoates. The olefin geometry of the substrate is important to control the overall stereochemistry of this alkoxycarbonylation method. The reaction proceeds through successive formation of π-allylpalladium with an R(3) group oriented syn and σ-allenyl palladium complexes.

Rhodium- and palladium-catalyzed 1,5-substitution reactions of 2-en-4-yne acetates and carbonates with organoboronic acids.

Two methods involving the rhodium-catalyzed reaction of 2-en-4-yne acetates and the palladium-catalyzed reaction of 2-en-4-yne carbonates with organoboronic acids were investigated; both afforded exclusively the (E)-configured vinylallenes. The coordinative interaction of the rhodium with the acetate group promoted the δ-elimination of Rh(I)-OAc from the alkenylrhodium intermediate II in both syn and anti modes, with the syn-elimination being the major path. DFT calculations revealed that a conformer of this intermediate (II), which can lead to the (E)-configured vinylallene product via the syn-elimination mode, is energetically the most favorable conformer. The rhodium-catalyzed procedure is not applicable to reactions involving (E)-configured enyne acetates, because the geometry of the alkenylrhodium intermediate that is derived from the corresponding (E)-enyne acetate would not allow such coordinative interaction to occur. The palladium-catalyzed method, which proceeds through formation of the σ-vinylallenylpalladium intermediate, B, is suitable for both the (E)- and (Z)-configured enyne carbonates and appears to have a wider scope for both organoboronic acids and enyne substrates. The palladium-catalyzed reaction of an enantiomerically enriched enyne carbonate proceeded with racemization.

Palladium-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation of (Z)-2-en-4-yn carbonates leading to 2,3,5-trienoates.

Pd(0)-catalyzed carbonylation of (Z)-2-en-4-yn carbonates in the presence of a balloon pressure of CO in an alcohol donates vinylallenyl esters with an exclusively E-configuration and in high yields. The fact that no such reactivity could be observed with E-configured enyne carbonates may indicate that the reaction is promoted via the cooperative coordination of palladium with both alkynyl and carbonate moieties.

Rhodium catalysed chemo- and stereoselective arylative and alkenylative cyclisation reactions of unsymmetric diynes containing a terminal alkyne moiety with organoboronic acids.

Unsymmetric diynes possessing a terminal alkyne moiety reacted with organoboronic acids both chemo- and stereoselectively to afford arylated or alkenylated exocyclic dienes by catalysis from the [Rh(cod)OCH(3)](2) complex. The use of a polar protic solvent, e.g. CH(3)OH is required for the success of the process under mild conditions.