Diastereoselective Domino Heck-Suzuki Reaction: Synthesis of Substituted Methylenetetrahydrofurans

In a palladium-catalyzed reaction of dienyl ethers with boronic acids, a diastereoselective cyclization occurs to give methylenetetrahydrofurans. They can be obtained as pure enantiomers and their conversion into dihydro-3(2H)-furanones and dioxanones is demonstrated.