Catalytic C-H bond addition of pyridines to allenes by a rare-Earth catalyst.

The catalytic C-H addition of pyridines to allenes has been achieved for the first time by using a half-sandwich scandium catalyst, thus constituting a straightforward and atom-economical route for the synthesis of alkenylated pyridine derivatives. The reaction proceeded regio- and stereoselectively, affording a new family of alkenylated pyridine compounds which are otherwise difficult to synthesize. A cationic Sc-η(2) -pyridyl species was isolated and confirmed to be a key catalyst species in this transformation.