Regio- and diastereoselective insertion of allenes into stable oxapalladacycles with a metal-bonded stereogenic carbon. preparation of contiguously substituted 3,4-dihydro-2H-1-benzopyrans.

Insertion of monosubstituted allenes into stable oxapalladacycle I was studied. The aim of this work was to define steric and electronic parameters of allenes that would allow for a regio- and diastereoselective synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted 3,4-dihydro-2H-1-benzopyrans, which could not be prepared via related catalytic protocols. Allenes with electron-donating alkyl substituents R sterically unencumbered at the C-3 and C-4 carbons reacted with palladacycles I to afford benzopyrans IV in good yields (45-81%), exclusively as cis diastereomers. Less than 10% of the regioisomeric benzopyrans V was detected in the crude reaction mixtures. Methoxy 1,2-propadiene afforded benzopyran IV in 98% yield as the trans diastereomer in 92% de. In contrast, allenes with electron-withdrawing substituents yielded benzopyrans V with an E double bond exclusively. Nonracemic palladacycles featuring a palladium-bonded stereogenic carbon as the only element of asymmetry underwent the allene insertion with 63-93% retention of the stereochemical information, providing benzopyrans IV or V in 40-47% ee. These results demonstrated that O-bonded palladium enolates did not operate as predominant intermediates in the insertion process. The study highlights the configurational stability of carbon-bonded palladium ester enolates, especially notable in systems lacking chiral nonracemic auxiliary ligands.