Catalytic radical generation of π-allylpalladium complexes

Transition metal catalysed allylic substitution is one of the most powerful and frequently used methods in organic synthesis. In particular, palladium-catalysed allylic functionalization has become a well-established strategy for constructing carbon–carbon or carbon–heteroatom bonds, and its utility has been demonstrated in natural product synthesis, drug discovery and materials science. Several methods have been developed to generate π-allylpalladium complexes through ionic mechanisms; however, these methods typically require either prefunctionalized starting materials or stoichiometric oxidants, which naturally limits their scope. Here, we show a radical approach for the generation of π-allylpalladium complexes by employing N-hydroxyphthalimide esters as bifunctional reagents in combination with 1,3-dienes. Using this strategy, we report the 1,4-aminoalkylation of dienes. The remarkable scope and functional group tolerance of this redox-neutral and mild protocol was demonstrated across >60 examples. The utility of this strategy was further demonstrated in radical cascade reactions and in the late-stage modification of drugs and natural products. Palladium-catalysed allylic substitution is a widely used method in organic synthesis, although it requires prefunctionalized starting materials or stoichiometric oxidants. Here the authors report a radical route to form π-allylpalladium complexes, and develop a 1,4-aminoalkylation of dienes under redox-neutral conditions.