10.1021/acs.orglett.1c02143
The research presents a novel synthetic pathway for allylic substitution reactions. The study focuses on a nickel-catalyzed tandem reaction that involves the isomerization of alkenyl alcohols followed by allylic cyanation. Key chemicals involved in this research include acetone cyanohydrin as the cyanation agent, nickel complexes such as Ni(cod)2 and Ni(4?tBustb)3 as catalysts, and a specific diphosphite ligand (L3) that plays a crucial role in the reaction's success. Methanol is used as the solvent, which is essential for achieving high yields of the desired products. The methodology demonstrated high potential through a gram-scale regioconvergent experiment and the formal synthesis of quebrachamine. The catalytic system tolerates a variety of functional groups and is efficient even when olefins migrate across up to eight carbons. Deuterium labeling experiments provided insights into the reaction mechanism, supporting a sequential alkene isomerization (chain-walking) followed by allylic cyanation.