Highly regioselective palladium-catalysed oxidative allylic C-H carbonylation of alkenes

Pd-catalysed direct oxidative carbonylation of allylic C-H bonds with carbon monoxide was first described. This new procedure shows that the inherent requirement for a leaving group in the Tsuji-Trost palladium-catalysed allylic carbonylation can be lifted, which provides a new route for accessing more synthetically useful beta-enoic acid esters with high regioselectivity.