Palladium-Catalyzed Alkene Carboalkoxylation Reactions of Phenols and Alcohols for the Synthesis of Carbocycles

Intermolecular alkene difunctionalization reactions between terminal alkenes bearing a pendant aryl or alkenyl triflate electrophile and exogenous alcohol or phenol nucleophiles are described. These transformations afford substituted indanyl or alkylidenecyclopentyl ethers in high yield with excellent diastereoselectivity. The transformations proceed through intermolecular capture of an intermediate [pd(II)-alkene]+[OTf](-) complex by the alcohol or phenol nucleophile.