A Fujiwara-Moritani-Type Alkenylation Using a Traceless Directing Group Strategy: A Rare Example of C-C Bond Formation towards the C2-Carbon of Terminal Alkenes.

Herein we report, a rhodium-catalyzed Fujiwara-Moritani-type reaction of unactivated terminal alkenes and benzoic acid derivatives bearing electron donating residues under mild conditions. The acid functionality acts as a traceless directing group delivering products alkenylated in meta -position to the electron donating substituent in contrast to the usually obtained ortho - and para -substitution in Friedel-Crafts-type reactions. Remarkably, the new C-C bond is formed to the C2 of the terminal olefin, in contrast to similar reported transformations. Initially formed mixtures of exo - and endo -double bond isomers can be efficiently isomerized to the more stable endo -products.