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Updated: May 10, 2026

Facile Preparation of (2Z,4E)-Dienamides by the Olefination of Electron-deficient Alkenes with Allyl Acetate
Published on: June 21, 2017
Enantioselective intramolecular aldehyde α-alkylation with simple olefins: direct access to homo-ene products
Robert J Comito1, Fernanda G Finelli, David W C MacMillan
1Merck Center for Catalysis at Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States.
Abstract:
A highly selective method for the synthesis of asymmetrically substituted carbocycles and heterocycles from unactivated aldehyde-olefin precursors has been achieved via enantioselective SOMO-catalysis. Addition of a catalytically generated enamine radical cation across a pendent olefin serves to establish a general asymmetric strategy toward the production of a wide range of formyl-substituted rings with alkene transposition. Conceptually, this novel mechanism allows direct access to "homo-ene"-type products.
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