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Pure Appl. Chem., 2005, Vol. 77, No. 7, pp. 1199-1206

http://dx.doi.org/10.1351/pac200577071199

General and practical approach to the syntheses of linear homoallylic alcohols

Hin-Soon Cheng and Teck-Peng Loh

Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637616, Republic of Singapore

Abstract: We have demonstrated that metal-mediated allylation of aldehydes can afford γ‑homoallylic alcohols or α-linear homoallylic alcohols by judicious choice of the solvents. A new mechanism has been proposed to account for this new α-selective metal-mediated allylation reaction. On the other hand, the metal-mediated prenylation under the same conditions to obtain α-prenyl alcohols was unsuccessful. Detailed mechanistic studies have resulted in the discovery of a new method to obtain compounds with diverse structures via an oxonium-ene cyclization. Suppressing the oxonium-ene reaction during the reaction has resulted in the formation of α-prenyl alcohols. A highly enantioselective process to obtain α‑prenyl product in high optical purity has also been accomplished.