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Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Facile Preparation of (2Z,4E)-Dienamides by the Olefination of Electron-deficient Alkenes with Allyl Acetate
Published on: June 21, 2017
Computational study of ethene hydroarylation at [Ir(κ(2)-OAc)(PMe3)Cp]+
David L Davies1, Stuart A Macgregor, Amalia I Poblador-Bahamonde
1Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK. dld03@le.ac.uk
Abstract:
Density functional theory calculations have been employed to model ethene hydroarylation using an [Ir(κ(2)-OAc)(PMe(3))Cp](+) catalyst, 1. The reaction proceeds via: (i) an acetate-assisted C-H activation of benzene via an AMLA-6 transition state; (ii) rate-limiting insertion of ethene into the Ir-Ph bond; and (iii) protonolysis of the β-phenylethyl species by HOAc. A range of competing processes are assessed, the most important of which are the C-H activation of ethene at 1 and trapping of the β-phenylethyl intermediate with ethene. The former process gives rise to Ir-vinyl species which can then access further ethene insertion to give stable allyl by-products. A comparison with other ethene hydroarylation catalysts reported in the literature is presented.
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