A cooperative N-heterocyclic carbene/palladium catalysis system

Abstract

N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) have been extensively studied as organocatalysts and ligands for transition metals, but the successful integration of NHCs and late transition metals in cooperative catalysis remains an underexplored area. We have developed a cooperative palladium-catalyzed allylation of NHC-activated aldehydes to access a variety of 3-allyl dihydrocoumarin derivatives. Kinetic experiments support a cooperative pathway for this transformation.