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Updated: Nov 4, 2025

Facile Preparation of 2Z,4E-Dienamides by the Olefination of Electron-deficient Alkenes with Allyl Acetate
Published on: June 21, 2017
Hydroarylation of olefins catalysed by a dimeric ytterbium(II) alkyl
Georgia M Richardson1, Iskander Douair2, Scott A Cameron3
1School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.
Abstract:
Although the nucleophilic alkylation of aromatics has recently been achieved with a variety of potent main group reagents, all of this reactivity is limited to a stoichiometric regime. We now report that the ytterbium(II) hydride, [BDIDippYbH]2 (BDIDipp = CH[C(CH3)NDipp]2, Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl), reacts with ethene and propene to provide the ytterbium(II) n-alkyls, [BDIDippYbR]2 (R = Et or Pr), both of which alkylate benzene at room temperature. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that this latter process operates through the nucleophilic (SN2) displacement of hydride, while the resultant regeneration of [BDIDippYbH]2 facilitates further reaction with ethene or propene and enables the direct catalytic (anti-Markovnikov) hydroarylation of both alkenes with a benzene C-H bond.
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