Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.134, No.13, 5782-5785, 2012
A Direct Synthesis of Allenes by a Traceless Petasis Reaction
A one-pot synthesis of allenes by the 2-nitrobenzenesulfonylhydrazide-mediated coupling of hydroxyaldehydes or ketones with alkynyl trifluoroborate salts is reported. This mild process involves in situ formation of a sulfonylhydrazone that reacts with alkynyl trifluoroborates to generate a transient propargylic hydrazide species. Decomposition of this unstable hydrazide via an intermediate monoalkyldiazine produces the allene products through an alkene walk mechanism.