Highly efficient and regioselective allylation with allylic alcohols catalyzed by [Mo(3)S(4)Pd(eta(3)-allyl)] clusters.

A highly efficient and regioselective allylation reaction of amines and active methylene compounds directly using allylic alcohols under mild conditions catalyzed by the novel cubane-type sulfido [(Cp*Mo)(3)(mu(3)-S)(4)Pd(eta(3)-allyl)]PF(6) clusters has been developed. A variety of allylic alcohols and nucleophiles including amines and active methylene compounds are investigated, and in the case of allylic alcohols bearing substituents at either the alpha- or gamma-position only linear products are obtained.