The ruthenium-catalyzed olefination of electron-deficient alkenes with allyl acetate is described here. By using aminocarbonyl as a directing group, this external oxidant-free protocol has high efficiency and good stereo- and regioselectivity, opening a novel synthetic route to (Z,E)-butadiene skeletons.
Ding, L., Yu, C., Zhao, Z., Li, F., Zhang, J., Zhong, G. Facile Preparation of (2Z,4E)-Dienamides by the Olefination of Electron-deficient Alkenes with Allyl Acetate. J. Vis. Exp. (124), e55766, doi:10.3791/55766 (2017).