Synthesis of Functionalized Alkenes by a Transition-Metal-Free Zweifel Coupling.

The Zweifel reaction is a powerful method for the synthesis of alkenes, serving as a transition-metal-free alternative to the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction. To date, the scope of the Zweifel coupling has been rather narrow and has focused mainly on the coupling of vinyllithium reagents to synthesize simple aryl- and alkyl-substituted olefins. Herein, the development of a general transition-metal-free coupling process enabling the coupling of Grignard reagents or organolithiums is described. This method enables the enantiospecific synthesis of a wide variety of functionalized acyclic and cyclic olefin products.