Palladium-catalyzed kinetic resolution of racemic cyclic and acyclic allylic carbonates with sulfur nucleophiles

A chiral Pd(0) complex bearing the Trost ligand in combination with S-nucleophiles effects the kinetic resolution of cyclic and acyclic allylic carbonates with excellent levels of enantioselectivity to give enantiomerically highly enriched allylic carbonates as well as allylic sulfones and sulfides. This method allows also for a new access to enantiopure cyclic allylic alcohols. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.