Isomerization of Allenyl Carbinol Esters
By: William Sommer, Aldrich ChemFiles 2009, 9.5, 8.
Aldrich ChemFiles 2009, 9.5, 8.
In 2007, Buzas et al. reported the synthesis of a series of 1,3-butadien- 2-ols from different allenes using a gold complex as catalyst.1 Butadiene building blocks are of interest for Diels-Alder reactions, [4+1] cycloaddition and asymmetric hydrogenation. However, only a few methods exist to access these interesting building blocks. In this report, the catalyst utilized in this reaction is a XPhos-gold complex. With mild reaction conditions and a low loading of 1 mol % of catalyst, the authors were able to synthesize a variety of butadienes with yields up to 100% (Scheme 4).

Scheme 4.