Practical allylation with unactivated allylic alcohols under mild conditions

Abstract

A practical palladium/calcium catalytic system was developed for dehydrative allylation with unactivated allylic alcohols. EtOH solvent with a H₂O additive was identified as powerful medium to accelerate proton transfer. This catalytic system and environmentally benign medium enabled a variety of soft carbonic nucleophiles and allylic alcohols to react smoothly at room temperature with water as the only byproduct. A wide spectrum of allylic compounds bearing a variety of functional groups can be obtained with high to excellent yields.