Catalytic allylation of stabilized phosphonium ylides with primary allylic amines.

A range of ketone-stabilized phosphonium ylides were allylated with high regioselectivity by primary allylic amines in the presence of 5 mol % Pd(PPh3)4 and 10 mol % B(OH)3, and subsequent one-pot Wittig olefination gave structurally diverse α,β-unsaturated ketones in good to excellent overall yields with excellent E selectivity. The one-pot allylation/olefination reaction was extended to ester- and nitrile-stabilized phosphonium ylides by replacing B(OH)3 with TsOH, and the corresponding α,β-unsaturated esters and nitriles were obtained in moderate overall yields.