Enantioselective carbonyl allylation, crotylation, and tert-prenylation of furan methanols and furfurals via iridium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation.

5-Substituted-2-furan methanols 1a-c are subject to enantioselective carbonyl allylation, crotylation and tert-prenylation upon exposure to allyl acetate, alpha-methyl allyl acetate, or 1,1-dimethylallene in the presence of an ortho-cyclometalated iridium catalyst modified by (R)-Cl,MeO-BIPHEP, (R)-C3-TUNEPHOS, and (R)-C3-SEGPHOS, respectively. In the presence of 2-propanol, but under otherwise identical conditions, the corresponding substituted furfurals 2a-c are converted to identical products of allylation, crotylation, and tert-prenylation. Optically enriched products of carbonyl allylation, crotylation, and reverse prenylation 3b, 4b, and 5b were subjected to Achmatowicz rearrangement to furnish the corresponding gamma-hydroxy-beta-pyrones 6a-c, respectively, with negligible erosion of enantiomeric excess.