Palladium-catalyzed stereocontrolled ring-opening of 7-oxabenzonorbornadienes with organic carboxylic acids.

A palladium-catalyzed tandem reaction of 7-oxabenzonorbornadienes with organic carboxylic acids that provides cis -1,2-dihydro-l-naphthyl derivatives in moderate to good yields in a highly diastereoselective manner is described. A possible reaction mechanism involving syn acylation followed by insertion and diastereoselective ring-opening with 7-oxabenzonorbornadienes is proposed to account for the reaction.