Transition metal (TM)-catalyzed difunctionalization of unactivated olefins offers a new retrosynthetic protocol in organic synthesis. This transformation generates two new bonds in one synthetic step, and finds important applications in rapidly building molecular complexity from simple and readily available feedstock chemicals. Incorporation of cross-coupling as one of the bond forming operations into the olefin difunctionalization manifold would further offer unlimited synthetic potentials. Herein, we report an efficient Pd-catalyzed reaction protocol that functionalizes unactivated olefins with two carbon-based entities – aryl halides and enolates – and enables us to rapidly access functionalized 3,4-disubstituted pyrrolidinones. Studies will also be presented to elucidate the mechanism of the current reaction.

Pd-catalyzed difunctionalization of unactivated olefins by tandem Heck coupling/enolate cyclization

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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