Highly Efficient and Regioselective Allylation with Allylic Alcohols Catalyzed by [Mo3S4Pd(η3-allyl)] Clusters

A highly efficient and regioselective allylation reaction of amines and active methylene compounds directly using allylic alcohols under mild conditions catalyzed by the novel cubane-type sulfido [(Cp*Mo)(3)(mu(3)-S)(4)Pd(eta(3)-allyl)][PF(6)](2) clusters has been developed. A variety of allylic alcohols and nucleophiles including amines and active methylene compounds are investigated, and in the case of allylic alcohols bearing substituents at either the alpha- or gamma-position only linear products are obtained.