Carbon-carbon bond formation in palladium(II)-catalyzed allylic oxidation: a novel oxidative carbocyclization of allene-substituted olefins.

A new efficient palladium(II)-catalyzed oxidative carbocyclization has been developed. It was found that allene-substituted olefins 1 cyclized in the presence of 1 mol % Pd(O2CCF3)2 and p-benzoquinone (2 equiv) to give bicyclic ring systems 2 in good to excellent yields. The cyclization constitutes a new type of carbon-carbon bond forming reaction between an allene and an olefin under oxidative conditions.