Palladium(0)-Catalyzed Allylation of Highly Acidic and Nonnucleophilic Anilines. The Origin of Stereochemical Scrambling When Using Allylic Carbonates

Acidic anilines such as diphenylamine, phenothiazine, and nitroanilines are efficiently allylated under palladium catalysis using allyl carbonates as allylating reagents. A stereochemical study of the reactions of ethyl cis-5-methyl-2-cyclohexenylcarbonate with 4-nitro- and 2,4-dinitroaniline was performed. Bidentate phosphines as stabilizing ligands gave clean retention of configuration whereas triphenylphosphine permitted cis−trans isomerization of the allylic carbonate, the allylation reactions occurring under Curtin−Hammet preequilibrium conditions.