Highly selective catalytic intermolecular reductive coupling of alkynes and aldehydes

Alkynes (internal and terminal) and aldehydes (aromatic and aliphatic) are reductively coupled in a single catalytic reaction to yield di- and trisubstituted allylic alcohols with high stereoselectivity and regioselectivity. In most cases, a 1:1 ratio of alkyne to aldehyde is sufficient for efficient coupling. The yield and regioselectivity are strongly dependent on the phosphine ligand, but the allylic alcohols formed are invariably the products of cis addition to the alkyne.