Investigation of the aqueous transmetalation of pi-allylpalladium with indium: some theoretical and experimental evidence about the nature of allylindium intermediates

In this paper we report some theoretical and experimental evidence concerning the nature of the allyl-In intermediate generated by umpolung of allyl-Pd complexes in the Pd(OAc)(2)/TPPTS catalysed allylation reaction of benzaldehyde. The allylic substrate reacts at the substituted terminus, because of the formation of an equilibrating mixture of eta(1)-allyl-In(I) specie with the gamma-substituted regioisomer being more reactive.