Palladium(II)-catalyzed S(N)2' reactions of alpha-allenic acetates. Stereoconvergent synthesis of (Z,E)-2-bromo-1,3-dienes.

The reaction of acetylated alpha-allenic alcohols with LiBr in the presence of 1.5 mol % of Pd(OAc)(2) provides easy access to substituted (Z,E)-2-bromo-1,3-dienes in good yields with excellent diastereoselectivity. Both secondary and tertiary acetates as well as terminal and nonterminal allenes were studied to investigate the scope and the limitations of the reaction. A mechanism is proposed to clarify how a diastereomeric mixture of the starting compound is transformed into a single diastereomer of the product.