Congested C-C bonds by Pd-catalyzed enantioselective allyl-allyl cross-coupling, a mechanism-guided solution.

Under the influence of a chiral bidentate diphosphine ligand, the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric cross-coupling of allylboron reagents and allylic electrophiles establishes 1,5-dienes with adjacent stereocenters in high regio- and stereoselectivity. A mechanistic study of the coupling utilizing reaction calorimetry and density functional theory analysis suggests that the reaction operates through an inner-sphere 3,3'-reductive elimination pathway, which is both rate-defining and stereodefining. Coupled with optimized reaction conditions, this mechanistic detail is used to expand the scope of allyl-allyl couplings to allow the generation of 1,5-dienes with tertiary centers adjacent to quaternary centers as well as a unique set of cyclic structures.