Efficient synthesis of 4-(3'-furanyl)butenolide derivatives via PdII-catalyzed oxidative heterodimeric cyclization reaction of 2,3-allenoic acids and 1,2-allenyl ketones.

The oxidative cyclization/dimerization reaction between two classes of allenes with different functionalities was reported to provide an efficient route to polysubstituted 4-(3'-furanyl)-2(5H)-furanones, which are not readily available from the known methods. The highly optically active butenolides could be easily formed from the optically active 2,3-allenoic acids, which was obtained conveniently through chiral resolution with optically active amines, that is, cinchonidine or alpha-methyl benzylamine. A mechanistic study showed that the reaction proceeded via a matched double oxypalladation-reductive elimination process. The Pd(II) species may be regenerated via the subsequent cyclometallation of two equivalents of 1,2-allenyl ketones with Pd(0) and protonlysis of Pd enolates formed with the in situ generated HCl.