Palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative rearrangements of allyl 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl malonates: direct access to homoallylic esters.

Homoallylic esters are obtained in a single transformation from allyl 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl malonates by using a Pd(0) catalyst. Facile decarboxylation of allyl 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl malonates is attributed to a decrease in pK(a) compared to allyl methyl malonates. Subsequent reduction of the homoallylic 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl ester provides a (hydroxyethyl)cyclopentenyl derivative that represents a key intermediate in the synthesis of carbocyclic nucleosides. A select allyl 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl malonate undergoes a decarboxylative Claisen rearrangement to provide a regioisomeric homoallylic ester.