Palladium-catalysed Heck reaction on 1,2-dien-1-ols: a stereoselective synthesis of alpha-arylated alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehydes

A new methodology for preparing α-arylated α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is reported. The starting materials are all commercially available alkyn-1-ols (1a–c) that have been easily isomerised to the corresponding allenes (2a–c). The key step is the Heck coupling of the 1,2-dien-1-ols with a series of iodo- and bromoarene. The products have been synthesised in good yields, and the reactions were carried out under very mild conditions.