A cascade reaction, consisting of a palladium-catalyzed regioselective aerobic oxidative carbocyclization-borylation of bisallenes and a final aldehyde trapping, afforded triene alcohols with high diastereoselectivity. The cascade reaction occurs under mild reaction conditions and proceeds via an allylboron intermediate that is trapped by the aldehyde in a stereoselective manner.

An olefin-assisted, palladium-catalyzed oxidative alkynylation of enallenes for regio- and stereoselective synthesis of substituted trienynes has been developed. The reaction shows a broad substrate scope and good tolerance for various functional groups on the allene moiety, including carboxylic acid esters, free hydroxyls, imides, and alkyl groups. Also, a wide range of terminal alkynes with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing aryls, heteroaryls, alkyls, trimethylsilyl, and free hydroxyl groups are tolerated.

A highly selective palladium-catalyzed allenic C-H bond oxidation was developed, and it provides a novel and straightforward synthesis of [3]dendralene derivatives. A variety of [3]dendralenes with diverse substitution patterns are accessible with good efficiency and high stereoselectivity. The reaction tolerates a broad substrate scope containing various functional groups on the allene moiety, including ketone, aldehyde, ester, and phenyl groups. Also, a wide range of olefins with both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing aryls, acrylate, sulfone, and phosphonate groups are tolerated.

A highly diastereoselective palladium-catalyzed oxidative carbocyclization-borylation of enallenes assisted by a weakly coordinating hydroxyl group was developed. The reaction afforded functionalized cyclo-hexenol derivatives, in which the 1,3-relative stereo chemistry is controlled (d.r. > 50:1). Other weakly coordinating oxygen-containing groups (ketone, alkoxide, acetate) also assisted the carbocyclization toward cyclo-hexenes. The reaction proceeds via a ligand exchange on Pd of the weakly coordinating group with a distant olefin group. The high diastereoselectivity of the hydroxyl directed reaction could be rationalized by a face-selective coordination of the distant olefin. It was demonstrated that the primary coordination of the close-by oxygen containing functionality was necessary for the reaction to occur and removal of this functionality shut down the reaction.

A palladium-catalyzed oxidative cascade carbonylative carbocyclization of enallenols was developed. Under mild reaction conditions, a range of cis-fused [5,5] bicyclic gamma-lactones and gamma-lactams with a 1,3-diene motif were obtained in good yields with high diastereoselectivity. The obtained lactone/lactam products are viable substrates for a stereoselective Diels-Alder reaction with N-phenylmaleimide, providing polycyclic compounds with increased molecular complexity.

A highly selective and efficient oxidative carbocyclization/borylation of enallenols catalyzed by palladium immobilized on amino-functionalized siliceous mesocellular foam (Pd-AmP-MCF) was developed for diastereoselective cyclobutenol synthesis. The heterogeneous palladium catalyst can be recovered and recycled without any observed loss of activity or selectivity. The high diastereoselectivity of the reaction is proposed to originate from a directing effect of the enallenol hydroxyl group. Optically pure cyclobutenol synthesis was achieved by the heterogeneous strategy by using chiral enallenol obtained from kinetic resolution.

A palladium-catalyzed oxidative tandem process of enallenols was accomplished within a homogeneous/heterogeneous catalysis manifold, setting the stage for the highly chemodivergent and diaster-eoselective synthesis of gamma-lactones and gamma-lactams under mild conditions.

A heterogeneous palladium-catalyzed oxidative cyclization of enallenols has been developed for the construction of highly substituted furan and oxaborole derivatives. The heterogeneous catalyst (Pd-AmP-MCF) exhibits high activity, high site- and stereoselectivity, and efficient palladium recyclability in the transformations.