Palladium-Catalyzed Allylic Esterification via C–C Bond Cleavage of a Secondary Homoallyl Alcohol

Palladium-catalyzed allylic esterifications of secondary homoallyl alcohols with acids via sequential retro-allylation and esterification are demonstrated, affording the corresponding allyl ester in up to 99% yield. The electron effect of the substituent of the secondary alcohol was found to be crucial to the selective C-C bond cleavage.