Pincer complex-catalyzed allylation of aldehyde and imine substrates via nucleophilic η1-allyl palladium intermediates

Electrophilic allylic substitution of allylstannanes with aldehyde and imine substrates could be achieved by employment of palladium pincer complex catalysts. It was found that the catalytic activity of the pincer complexes is highly dependent on the ligand effects. The best results were obtained by employment of PCP pincer complexes with weakly coordinating counterions. In contrast to previous applications for electrophilic allylic substitutions via bisallylpalladium complexes, the presented reactions involve monoallylpalladium intermediates. Thus, employment of pincer complex catalysts extends the synthetic scope of the palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions. Moreover, use of these catalysts eliminates the side reactions occurring in transformations via bisallylpalladium intermediates. The key intermediate of the electrophilic substitution reaction was observed by H-1 NMR spectroscopy. This intermediate was characterized as an eta(1)-allyl-coordinated pincer complex. Density functional theory (DFT) modeling shows that the electrophilic attack can be accomplished with a low activation barrier at the gamma-position of the eta(1)-allyl moiety. According to the DFT calculations, this reaction takes place via a six-membered cyclic transition-state (TS) structure, in which the tridentate coordination state of the pincer ligand is preserved. The stereoselectivity of the reaction could be explained on the basis of the six-membered cyclic TS model.