Water-Mediated Catalytic Decarboxylation Enabled Polysubstituted Furans and Allylic Alcohols with Exclusive (E)-Configurations.

A water-mediated catalytic decarboxylation process toward the formation of polysubstituted furans and (E)-allylic alcohols has been reported. This protocol features wide functional group tolerance, easy operation, and only CO2-byproduct generation. These reactions can be performed on a large scale open to air under extremely ambient conditions. A range of control experiments revealed the crucial role of the water for the successful conversions as well as the origin of the chemoselectivity and exclusive stereoselectivity.