Pd-catalyzed cascade reactions involving skipped dienes: from double carbopalladation to remote C–C cleavage

We report two ligand-controlled cascade reactions relying on the intramolecular carbopalladation of skipped dienes. The use of a bulky monodentate phosphine ligand affords [4,5]-spirocycles via sequential double carbopalladation, however bidentate phosphines promote a remote β-C-elimination process which does not rely on the use of strained or sterically hindered substrates.