Nickel-catalyzed intermolecular coupling of 1,3-dienes and aldehydes via transmetalation of nickelacycles with diisobutylaluminum acetylacetonate

Intermolecular coupling reactions of 1,3-dienes and aldehydes via transmetalation of nickelacycle intermediate with (BU2Al)-B-i-acac were investigated. In the reactions, a linear adduct or a branched adduct was produced, depending upon the nature of 1,3-dienes and aldehydes, via two nickelacycles that were relatively stable among the four possible nickelacycles because of the equilibrium with pi-allynickel forms.