Iridium-Catalyzed 1,3-Rearrangement of Allylic Ethers

The 1,3-rearrangement of allylic derivatives has rarely been reported, except for allylic alcohols. Herein, we describe an iridium-catalyzed 1,3-rearrangement of readily available allylic ethers to access the difficultly prepared allylic ethers with a large steric hindrance. The developed method shows a broad substrate scope and could be used in the late-stage modification of several natural products. In addition, a possible reaction pathway is also provided on the basis of the control experiments.

Automated summary

In this study, an iridium-catalyzed 1,3-rearrangement of readily available allylic ethers was developed, providing access to allylic ethers with a large steric hindrance. The method exhibited a broad substrate scope and was applicable for the late-stage modification of several natural products. A possible reaction pathway was proposed based on control experiments.