Stereochemistry of the formation of π-allylpalladium complexes from dialkylcyclohexa-1,3-dienes

1,4-Dimethyl-, 1-isopropyl-4-methyl- and 1-t-butyl-4-methylcyclohexa-1,3-diene reacted with a palladium salt to form, in each case, a single isomer of the corresponding π-allylpalladium chloride complexes, while 2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexa-1,3-diene gave two stereoisomeric complexes. An excess of diene (diene/Pd = 2.5–3.0) was required to produce a high yield of the complex. The hydrogen atom, which is incorporated onto the terminal carbon of the diene system, is shown (i) to come from the excess diene, which in turn is converted to an aromatic compound, and (ii) to attack the diene, stereo- and regio-selectively, from the same side as the palladium chloride portion.