Palladium-catalyzed diastereoselective coupling of propargylic oxiranes with terminal alkynes

reaction: see text] A diastereoselective coupling of propargylic oxiranes with terminal alkynes has been developed with use of a palladium catalyst. The stereochemistries of the resulting 4-alkynyl-substituted 2,3-allenols have been altered depending on the palladium catalyst. An optically active anti-substituted allene was synthesized from the reaction of an enantiomerically enriched propargylic oxirane without loss of chirality.