Molybdenum(0) and tungsten(0) catalysts with enhanced reactivity for allylic substitution: regioselectivity and solvent effects †

The binuclear Mo(II) and W(II) complexes 28a,b and 29a,b have been developed as pre-catalysts for allylic substitution with β-dicarbonyl nucleophiles. These complexes are reduced in situ to Mo(0) and W(0) catalytic species 30a,b and 31a,b by excess of NaH, employed to generate sodiomalonate nucleophiles, or by DIBAL-H. 1,3-Dioxolane and 1,4-dioxane, when used as solvents, substantially accelerate the reaction. These new catalysts exhibit “traditional” Mo regiochemistry, i.e., the nucleophilic attack occurring preferentially at the more substituted carbon (5 → 9; 37 → 38), unless an additional factor, such as further coordination to another moiety of the allylic electrophile takes part (41), as in the case of the geranyl-type substrates (32 or 33 → 36).